If you are catering for vegetarians this Christmas Day, our stuffed butternut squash centrepiece is a great celebratory dish to make.
Serve alongside our festive sides to make for a delicious meal.
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Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
50 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Cal/Serv:
262
Ingredients
1
large butternut squash (about 1kg)
2Tbsp.
olive oil
1
vegetable stock cube
125g
pearl barley
1
red onion, finely chopped
2Tbsp.
finely chopped rosemary
125g
cavolo nero or kale, finely chopped (woody stems discarded)
50g
dried cranberries, finely chopped, see intro
50g
walnuts, roughly chopped, see intro
150g
goat's cheese log with rind, crumbled, we used Chavroux
You will also need
Kitchen string
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Cut the squash in 1/2 lengthways,
deseed and brush all over with 1tbsp oil.
Season and place cut-side down on a
baking tray. Cook for 35min, or until
golden and tender. Set aside until cool
enough to handle.
Step 2While the squash is cooking, bring a
large pan of water to the boil. Crumble in
the stock cube; stir to dissolve. Add the
pearl barley and cook for 15min, or until
tender. Drain and leave to cool slightly.
Step 3Heat remaining 1tbsp oil in a large pan
over medium heat and cook the onion
for 5min, until softened. Stir in the
garlic and rosemary and cook for 2min, until fragrant. Add the cavolo nero/kale
and cook until just wilted. Remove
from heat and stir in the pearl barley,
cranberries, walnuts and goat’s cheese.
Check seasoning.
Step 4Using a spoon, scrape a hollow along
the length of both squash halves (see
GH TIP), leaving about 2cm fl esh intact
at the edges (being careful not to break
the skin). Spoon the pearl barley filling
into both halves (they will be full), then
quickly lift 1 on top of the other and
secure in place with kitchen string.
Step 5Return to the oven for 15min. Serve
in slices (yes, you can eat the skin!).
GH TIP
You can mash the scooped-out squash flesh and serve it alongside, whizz it into a pasta sauce or soup – or freeze for future use.
GET AHEAD
Prepare to end of step 4
up to a day ahead. Cool, cover and
chill. To serve, allow to come to room
temperature and complete recipe,
reheating until piping hot.
Per serving:
Calories: 262
Protein: 8g
Total fat: 13g
Saturates: 4g
Carbs: 27g
Total sugars: 10g
Fibre: 4g
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A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurstis our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.
