Lentil Stuffed Butternut Squash
This elegant main dish features roasted butternut squash halves filled with a rich, herb-infused lentil mix. Flavored with fresh sage, rosemary, and white miso, then topped with a velvety butternut-tahini sauce, it offers a hearty and deeply satisfying plant-based centerpiece perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy winter dinners.
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Slice butternut squash (3 medium) in half and scoop out seeds. Rub with olive oil (2 tbsp) and season with kosher salt (1 tsp) and black pepper (0.5 tsp). Roast for 50 minutes until tender.
- 2
Heat olive oil (1 tbsp) in a large pan over medium-high. Sauté yellow onions (2 large) with a pinch of salt for 9 minutes until browned.
- 3
Add garlic (6 cloves), fresh sage leaves (1 tbsp), and fresh rosemary leaves (2 tsp); cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste (2 tbsp) and cook for 3 minutes.
- 4
Pour in dry red wine (0.33 cup) and deglaze the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes until the liquid has evaporated.
- 5
Stir in vegetable broth (2.67 cups), green lentils (1 cup), leaf (1 bay), and sweet paprika (1 tsp). Bring to a boil, then maintain a rapid simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.
- 6
Reduce heat to low and stir in tahini (2.5 tbsp), white miso paste (2 tsp), and balsamic vinegar (3 tsp). Season to taste.
- 7
Once squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh leaving a border. Transfer roasted butternut squash (1 cup) to a food processor.
- 8
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Stuff the lentil filling into the squash cavities and bake for 15 minutes.
- 9
Prepare the sauce by blending the squash flesh with tahini (2 tbsp), extra-virgin olive oil (1 tbsp), salt (0.25 tsp), and black pepper (0.25 tsp). Stream in water (6 tbsp) until smooth and pourable.
- 10
Drizzle the sauce over the baked squash and garnish with fresh parsley (2 tbsp).
Nutrition Facts
Per portion