Jewelled stuffed butternut squash
Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Jewelled stuffed butternut squash
Your vegetarian guests will appreciate this spectacular centrepiece. Pops of feta and pomegranate add a lovely contrast to the nutty grains and sweet roasted squash flesh
Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
214Kcal
Fat
10gr
Saturates
3gr
Carbs
21gr
Sugars
8gr
Fibre
5gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.6gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash, about 1.2kg
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 100g baby leaf spinach
- 1 x 250g pouch cooked grains or rice (we used Merchant Gourmet Glorious Grains) - use a gluten-free mix if required
- 1 x 80g pack pomegranate seeds (or seeds of 1 fruit)
- 25g toasted pine nuts
- 1 x 30g pack coriander, chopped
- 125g vegetarian feta, crumbled
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp mild olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep the squash up to the end of step 5 a few hours ahead. Cool, cover and chill. The herbs and pomegranate seeds discolour if added any further ahead than this. Leftovers keep for 2 days, chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Slice the butternut squash in half end-to-end and scrape out the seeds. Place both halves onto a lined oven tray, cut-side down. Roast for 40-50 minutes, until just tender when you pierce the flesh with a small sharp knife. Take care not to overcook the squash as it’ll cook further once returned to the oven. Set aside to cool.
- Flip the cooled squash halves over. Scoop most of the tender flesh out into a bowl, leaving a 1.5cm ‘shell’ of squash around the edges. Season the hollowed- out squash halves.
- Heat 1⁄2 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan or lidded frying pan, then fry the onion over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the garlic and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for a further 2 minutes. Stir through the spinach, cover with a lid, and leave to wilt for 2 minutes. Next, add the grains, scooped-out squash, pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and coriander. Break down the squash with your spoon and mix everything together well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Stir this through the grain mixture and lastly fold through the feta. Season to taste.
- Divide the filling mixture between the squash halves, pressing it down so it is compacted. Put the two halves back together to re- make the butternut squash shape and secure with loops of kitchen string tied around the squash.
- Return to the oven tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until the squash is completely tender and the filling is piping hot. To serve, slice the squash into thick rounds, using a wide spatula to help hold each slice together, and discard the string.
