Description
This Creamy Lentil Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe showcases a beautifully roasted butternut squash filled with a rich, savory lentil mixture enhanced by fresh herbs, red wine, and spices. The dish is topped with a luscious butternut-tahini sauce, making it a hearty and wholesome vegetarian main course perfect for cozy dinners and special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Butternut Squash
- 3 medium butternut squash
- Regular olive oil or avocado oil for roasting
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Creamy Lentil Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (more if not using a nonstick pan)
- 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 (80 mL) dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir, Shiraz/Syrah, or Malbec)
- 1 cup (190g) green or brown lentils
- 2 ⅔ cups (640 mL) vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
- 2 ½ tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- 2-3 teaspoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
Butternut-Tahini Sauce
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash flesh (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 lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place the halves cut side up on a large baking sheet. Rub each with a bit of oil and season generously with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Roast for 45-50 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 until hot. Add the diced onions with a pinch of salt and sauté for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the onions to brown without burning. Add the minced garlic, chopped sage, and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to develop flavor.
- Deglaze with Wine: Reduce heat to medium and pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, stirring to lift any browned bits. Continue cooking until the wine has mostly evaporated and the alcohol smell dissipates, about 2-3 minutes.
- Simmer Lentils: Add vegetable broth, lentils, bay leaf, and paprika to the pan. Stir well, then increase heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until lentils are just tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
- Finish the Filling: Lower heat to low and stir in tahini, white miso paste, and balsamic vinegar until fully incorporated. Taste and season with ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, adjusting to your preference. Set the filling aside.
- Scoop Squash Flesh: When the roasted butternut squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh from each half, leaving about a ½ to ¾-inch-thick border around the edges and bottom to maintain the shell’s structure. Reserve 1 cup of the scooped flesh for the sauce and save the rest for another use like risotto or smoothies.
- Reduce Oven Temperature: Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) in preparation for baking the stuffed squash.
- Stuff and Bake: Fill each squash cavity evenly with the lentil filling. Place the stuffed halves back on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until everything is warmed through.
- Make Butternut-Tahini Sauce: In a food processor, blend the reserved 1 cup of butternut squash flesh with tahini, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Slowly stream in water or vegetable broth, scraping down the sides, until the sauce reaches a pourable yet thick consistency.
- Serve: Drizzle the warm butternut-tahini sauce over the stuffed butternut squash halves. Garnish with chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use sturdy fresh herbs like sage and rosemary to add depth to the lentil filling.
- If you do not have red wine or prefer to avoid alcohol, substitute with additional vegetable broth or grape juice, though flavor will vary slightly.
- Ensure lentils are cooked to tenderness but not mushy to maintain texture.
- The reserved butternut squash flesh used for the sauce offers a creamy, sweet complement enhancing the overall dish.
- This dish is great for meal prep and reheats well in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
- Leftover scooped butternut squash flesh can be frozen for future use.
- Adjust balsamic vinegar and miso quantities to balance acidity and umami to your taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed squash half
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
