Stuffed Butternut Squash

OK, so this isn't exactly the most seasonal of dishes, but I think the spices and myriad of colours help pull this roasted squash out of the clutches of winter dining.

It is a wholesome dish that I would relish right now as our brief spell of Spring has scurried behind a blackened, bruised sky. There is a lot of food here so you can either cut it up into quarters and serve four with a trussed up salad, or be brave and share the whole thing with a loved one.

This is one that I have been working on and generally vary every time I eat it. I have also only been cooking it in a normal oven - rather than fan-assisted - meaning it comes out steamed. A quick turn under the grill sorts this out, giving it some colour. The steam effect is great though as it makes the red onions almost melt and go sticky rather than turn out as charred crisps. So here is my final recipe and what I think works best. By all means play around with the spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits that you want to use but I think this is a good place to start.


1 butternut squash

1 red onion

4 cloves of garlic

400g/14 oz lean lamb mince

4 tbsp pine nuts

4 tbsp sultanas

2 tbsp chopped flat leafed parsley

1.5 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

0.5 tsp ground caraway

250g/9 oz couscous

• Preheat the oven to 180 C/350F


• Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Cut out some of the solid part to create an even amount of flesh throughout the whole squash. Put the cubes of excess squash in a large baking tray with the whole squash. Bruise the garlic cloves and place one in the bottom and top parts of each half. Cut the onion into eighths and scatter amongst the squash. Drizzle everything with some olive oil and season well. Place in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes.


• Whilst the squash is cooking, prepare the couscous to packet instructions - this generally involves covering it in stock and leaving to soak for fifteen minutes or so, fluff up with a fork, season to taste and add some olive oil.


• In a heavy based dry frying pan, on a medium heat, lightly toast the pine nuts and add to the couscous.


• Add the spices to the dry pan and toast lightly for a few minutes then add the lamb, season well, and cook through, breaking up as many lumps as possible to give it a crumbly texture.


• When it has cooked through also add this to the couscous and pine nuts.


• Roughly chop the parsley and add along with the sultanas to the couscous mixture.


• When the butternut squash is cooked through and softened blast it under the grill to crisp off the edges and to give it some pretty colouring.
• Pile the squash high with the couscous mixture - you can keep or remove the garlic depending on your own tastes.
• Serve with a tzatziki or if you are feeling adventurous make a yogurt dip yourself, my personal favourite is: 1.5 tbsp each of dill, flat leaf parsley and mint finely chopped, one small glove of crushed garlic, one small green chili deseeded and finely chopped, two spring onions (scallions) finely chopped, seeds of one pomegranate, one cup of yogurt and mix.
• If you want this veggie then replace the lamb with some feta or even tofu.

If you are serving it in quarters with salad I would suggest some spinach with a pomegranate molasses dressing, some feta (as long as you aren't using it in the squash), tomatoes (sun dried or other) and toasted pumpkin seeds.