Herby Hasselback squash

Name: Herby Hasselback squash
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.2 kg butternut squash; 16 sprig/s Cooks’ Ingredients Pot Thyme; 4 clove/s garlic, 3 unpeeled, 1 crushed; 2 red onions, cut into thin wedges; 3 tbsp olive oil; 200 g quick cook spelt or pearled spelt; 500 ml vegetable stock; 50 g pitted Kalamata olives, halved; 40 g pumpkin seeds; 100 g feta, crumbled; 40 g pomegranate seeds; Greek yogurt or tahini, to serve (optional); Green salad, to serve (optional)

Jewelled with pomegranate seeds and dotted with salty olives and feta, this vibrant veggie butternut squash will impress a crowd.

4.5 out of 5 stars(4) Rate this recipe

VegetarianHealthyLow in saturated fat2 of your 5 a day

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare30 mins
Cook1 hr
Total time1 hr 30 mins
Plusresting

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1.2kg butternut squash
16 sprig/s Cooks’ Ingredients Pot Thyme
4 clove/s garlic, 3 unpeeled, 1 crushed
2 red onions, cut into thin wedges
3 tbsp olive oil
200g quick cook spelt or pearled spelt
500ml vegetable stock
50g pitted Kalamata olives, halved
40g pumpkin seeds
100g feta, crumbled
40g pomegranate seeds
Greek yogurt or tahini, to serve (optional)
Green salad, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Cut the squash in half lengthways, then peel and deseed it. About 1cm above the cut edge, push a long metal skewer through the length of one of the squash halves, from top to bottom. Place flat-side down on a board, and use a sharp knife to cut slits through at 0.5cm intervals. The skewer will prevent you slicing completely through. Remove the skewer and repeat on the other half. Open a few slits a little and insert the thyme sprigs.
Toss 3 unpeeled garlic cloves and the onions in a large roasting tin with 1 tbsp oil, then season. Crush the remaining garlic clove, mix with the remaining oil and brush all over the squash. Season and arrange in the tin. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes.
Remove the tin from the oven, discard the foil and scatter the spelt around the squash. Pour in the stock and cook for 20 minutes, stirring halfway.
Stir in the olives. Increase the oven temperature to 220ºC, gas mark 7, and roast for 20 minutes more until the squash is golden and the spelt is tender, then rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the pumpkin seeds for 5 minutes on a small baking tray.
Scatter the feta, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds over the squash. Serve with yogurt or tahini and a green salad, if liked.

Cook’s tip

For a nutty, spelt alternative, use Waitrose Red Carmargue & Wild Rice. Keep an eye on the liquid level as it cooks, and leave the foil on for the roasting time in step 3.

Typical values per (excluding yogurt, tahini or salad) when made using specific products in recipe