Roasted Squash | Squash Recipes | Tesco Real Food (2024)

80 ratings

Prepare this stunning centrepiece to impress your vegan guests on Christmas day. Roasting a whole butternut squash, scooping out the sweet flesh and then filling with layers of chargrilled peppers, mushrooms, chestnuts and spinach is really easy to do, and gives impressive results. Serve this vegan Christmas recipe with homemade pesto for an extra flavour kick! See method

  • Serves 6
  • 30 mins to prepare and 1 hr 45 mins to cook
  • 644 calories / serving
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free

Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash, about 1.5kg
  • 100g flat-leaf parsley, 2 tbsp finely chopped, the remainder roughly chopped
  • 2 x 285g jars charred roasted peppers in oil, drained well and all oil reserved
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 200g button mushrooms, sliced
  • 180g ready-cooked (vacuum-packed) whole chestnuts
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 8 thyme sprigs
  • 200g spinach leaves
  • ¼ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg

For the pesto

  • 3 garlic bulbs, halved through their middles
  • 1 red chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 100g pecans, lightly toasted

If you don't have any butternut squash, try sweet potato

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2675kj
    644kcal
    32%
  • Fat

    52g74%
  • Saturates

    7g34%
  • Sugars

    17g18%
  • Salt

    0.9g15%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 38.6gProtein 8.8g Fibre 3.9g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C. Halve the butternut squash vertically and scoop out the seeds with a soup spoon or melon baller. Line a roasting tin large enough to hold both squash halves with nonstick baking paper. Put both halves, cut sides down, in the roasting tin and roast for 50 mins, or until just tender.
  2. Leave to cool for 15 mins, then carefully turn the halves over and scoop out the insides along the length of each squash half, leaving an even, 3cm border of squash all around the edge. Be careful not to pierce the skin. Reserve the scooped-out squash and season the hollowed-out halves with salt and pepper.
  3. While the squash halves cook, put 2 tbsp of the oil from the jarred peppers in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 8 mins or so, stirring often, until soft and just starting to colour. Now add the mushrooms and cook for 5 mins until browned and soft, stirring often.
  4. Use a fork or potato masher to break the chestnuts down a little. They should be lightly crushed rather than completely broken down. Add the crushed chestnuts, 2 chopped garlic cloves, paprika and the leaves from 2 thyme sprigs to the pan. Cook through for a minute. Stir in the scooped-out squash, stirring to mix and to break it down evenly. Season well, stir in the finely chopped parsley and remove from the heat.
  5. Separately, wash the spinach and drain well. Transfer to a large saucepan and wilt over a medium heat, stirring often. It should take 2-3 mins for the leaves to collapse. Wring out in a clean tea towel to remove excess moisture then season well with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
  6. Use the drained, chargrilled peppers to line the hollowed out squash halves in an even, single layer. Divide the mushroom and chestnut mixture between the halves, pressing it down evenly. Evenly spoon the spinach over the filling in one half of the squash. Put the two halves together to make a butternut squash shape and tie together several times along the length of the squash with kitchen string. Return to the roasting tin.
  7. Bake for 20 mins, then add the halved garlic heads to the tin with the remaining thyme sprigs, drizzling them with 1 tbsp oil from the pepper jars. Bake for a further 30-40 mins, until the squash is completely tender and piping hot.
  8. To make the pesto, squeeze out the cloves from one halved garlic bulb and add to the small bowl of a food processor with the red chilli, pecans and the roughly chopped parsley. Blitz together, pausing to scrape down the sides. With the motor running, add the remaining oil reserved from the pepper jars in a steady stream. A rough pesto will form. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  9. Slice the squash thickly, discarding the string, and serve with the pesto on the side and the garlic bulbs to decorate.

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Roasted Squash | Squash Recipes | Tesco Real Food (2024)

FAQs

Is there a difference between roasting and baking squash? ›

Most recipes say to either bake or roast butternut squash—but what's the difference? While both cooking methods will turn the tough, raw gourd into a soft, sweet ingredient, roasting butternut squash is the more common process for achieving browned, crispy edges and a creamy interior.

Do you leave skin on squash when roasting? ›

You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups. You can also roast the seeds and eat them as a snack or sprinkled over a finished dish.

Is roasted squash good for you? ›

Fast facts about butternut squash

It is a good source of fiber, potassium, and several other key nutrients. The nutritional content of squash makes it beneficial for digestion, blood pressure, and for healthy skin and hair, among others. Squash can enhance or form the basis of a range of sweet and savory dishes.

Is it better to roast squash face up or down? ›

Is it better to roast butternut squash face up or down? I personally prefer to roast my butternut squash with the cut-side-up. In my opinion, roasting it cut-side-up allows for the butternut squash to caramelize, rather than just steam and cook.

Why is my roasted squash soggy? ›

Mushy veggies are also often the result of overcooking. When the interior is loaded with moisture, you have to cook it for much longer to evaporate all of the water and avoid the interior having the unappealing, spongy, raw texture that eggplant and zucchini are notorious for.

Why is my roasted squash dry? ›

Most squashes are at their "driest" immediately after harvest... not in terms of their moisture content, but in their cooked consistency. At this point (provided the squash was fully ripe) the starch content is very high, and the cooked texture will resemble mashed potatoes.

Why is my butternut squash turning brown when I cook it? ›

Cook at 400 degrees — hot — until the squash releases its juices and they are bubbly and brown around the edges. This is a sign that the sugars in the squash have caramelized and its flavor concentrated.

Is roasted squash skin edible? ›

All squash skin is edible. However, in the same way you wouldn't eat a banana peel, edible doesn't necessarily mean you want to eat it. Some squash has thin skin that's tasty and tender, while others have a tough shell that even cooked is chewy and stringy.

What is the most flavorful squash? ›

  1. 1 • Delicata / Sweet Dumpling. These are the most delectable of the pepo squashes, often much sweeter than their close cousins, the green acorns. ...
  2. 2 • Kabocha. ...
  3. 3 • Butternut. ...
  4. 4 • Acorn. ...
  5. 5 • Spaghetti. ...
  6. 6 • Buttercup. ...
  7. 7 • Hubbard.

What is an excellent companion to squash? ›

Leeks. "Leeks are a great companion for summer squash because they can help repel pests like carrot flies and aphids," says Coronado. "Their strong scent can confuse and deter these pests, creating a protective barrier around the squash."

What do you put on top of squash? ›

A sweet and crunchy topping of butter, brown sugar, pecans and pumpkin pie spice brings out the best of a squash side dish.

Is squash good for high blood pressure? ›

One of the many reasons squash is in high demand during the colder seasons is its high fiber and nutritional density. Some health benefits include improving blood pressure, supporting gut health, and decreasing your risk for certain diseases. There are over 100 kinds of summer and winter squash.

Does squash raise blood sugar? ›

Squash is a starchy vegetable that contains carbohydrates, which can cause a rise in blood sugar levels and trigger the release of insulin. However, the extent to which squash affects insulin levels can vary depending on the type of squash and how it is prepared.

Are squash healthier than potatoes? ›

Exhibit B: While both are high in B vitamins, the squash is higher in folate, a must in the diets future and soon-to-be mamas, as well as mega-antioxidant vitamin E, and bone-building calcium. However, the squash must concede when it comes to fiber content, with the sweet potato taking first place (4 grams vs.

Is roasting and baking the same thing? ›

That's right, roasting and baking are interchangeable. They both use heat from both the bottom and the top of the oven to cook your food. The term roasting is often used to describe the cooking process of large cuts of meat or vegetable side dishes, while baking is usually reserved for bread, pastries and casseroles.

What is the difference between roasting and baking a dish? ›

A baking pan is typically shallow with straight sides and is designed for baking items like cakes, cookies, and casseroles in an oven. A roasting pan, on the other hand, has lower sides and often comes with a roasting rack.

Does roasting take longer than baking? ›

Baking typically requires less cooking time than roasting, making it a quicker option for many recipes, especially baked goods like cakes and cookies. 3. Roasting requires higher temperatures than baking, which can help to create a crispy exterior on the food while cooking it evenly on the inside.

What is the difference between baking and toasting? ›

Bake is the word used for making things from dough in an oven, especially bread, cake, pie, and cookies. <We baked a cake for her birthday.> Toast is used to mean to make something warm and crisp (and usually brown or black) by heat - often using a toaster.

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