– Butternut squash – Olive oil or avocado oil – Kosher salt – Olive oil – Yellow onions – Garlic – Sage leaves – Rosemary leaves – Tomato paste – Dry red wine – Green or brown lentils – Vegetable broth – Bay leaf – Sweet or hot paprika – Tahini – White miso paste – Balsamic vinegar
Slice your butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and gunk, then transfer the squash halves to a large baking sheet, cut side up. Brush each squash half with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Make the creamy lentil filling. Dice the onions and chop the garlic, rosemary, and sage. Heat the olive oil in a deep sauté pan and add the diced onions. Cook 8-9 minutes until browned. Then add the garlic, sage, and rosemary and cook 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the red wine. Pour in the vegetable broth, lentils, paprika, and bay leaf.
Simmer the lentils for about 30 minutes, or until al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed. Finally, stir in the tahini, miso, and balsamic vinegar. Add salt to taste.
When the butternut squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out most of the flesh from each half, but leave a border around the sides and bottom and don’t scoop too deeply. Add the lentil filling into each squash cavity. Bake at 350F° for 15 minutes until warmed through.
Make the butternut-tahini sauce. In a food processor, blend together 1 cup of the scooped out squash flesh, tahini, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth, then pour over the squash when ready to serve.
MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES