Description
This Creamy Lentil Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe features roasted butternut squash halves filled with a savory lentil mixture enhanced by herbs, tomato paste, red wine, tahini, and miso paste. Finished with a smooth butternut-tahini sauce and garnished with fresh parsley, it’s a hearty and flavorful vegetarian main course perfect for cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 3 medium butternut squash
- Olive oil or avocado oil for roasting
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Creamy Lentil Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir, Shiraz/Syrah, or Malbec)
- 1 cup green or brown lentils (190g)
- 2 2/3 cups vegetable broth (640 mL)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
- 2 1/2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- 2-3 teaspoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
Butternut-Tahini Sauce
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash (from the scooped out halves)
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3-6 tablespoons water or vegetable broth, more as needed to thin the sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Slice each butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place each half cut side up on a large baking sheet, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 50 minutes until the flesh is fork tender and lightly browned.
- Prepare the creamy lentil filling: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions with a pinch of salt and sauté for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown the onions. Add minced garlic, sage, and rosemary; cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring to combine.
- Deglaze with wine: Reduce heat to medium, pour in red wine to deglaze the pan by stirring up browned bits. Cook until the liquid evaporates and alcohol smell dissipates, about 3 minutes.
- Cook lentils: Add vegetable broth, lentils, bay leaf, and paprika. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes until lentils are tender and most liquid absorbed.
- Finish lentil filling: Lower heat to low and stir in tahini, miso paste, and balsamic vinegar until well combined. Season with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Scoop squash flesh: When squash is cool enough, scoop out the flesh from each half leaving a 1/2 to 3/4-inch border intact. Reserve the flesh for sauce and another use.
- Prepare for baking: Transfer 1 cup roasted squash flesh to a food processor. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
- Stuff and bake squash: Fill each squash cavity with the lentil filling. Place stuffed halves on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until heated through.
- Make butternut-tahini sauce: Blend the 1 cup squash flesh in the food processor with tahini, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stream in water or vegetable broth to achieve a pourable but thick consistency.
- Serve: Drizzle the butternut-tahini sauce on the stuffed squash halves and garnish with chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.
Notes
- Use olive oil or avocado oil for a milder flavor and to keep it healthy.
- You can substitute vegetable broth with water if needed, but broth adds more depth.
- Red wine adds complexity but can be omitted or replaced with additional broth for a non-alcoholic version.
- Reserve extra roasted squash flesh for soups, stews, pasta, or smoothies.
- Adjust the thickness of the butternut-tahini sauce by adding liquid gradually to your preferred consistency.
- For extra protein, add cooked quinoa or chopped nuts to the lentil filling.
- This dish can be prepared in advance and reheated gently in the oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed half
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
