Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano
This Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash is the best main you can bring to your holiday table this year!
Sweet and herby roasted squash filled with a generous and fragrant plant mince, accompanied by a flavourful sage and white wine gravy, will be the absolute star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
I’m sure everyone will ask for seconds!
It’s the perfect and healthy meal to bring together all guests with different dietary needs, as this Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash is both vegan and gluten free!
But there’s more!
Although it’s not the quickest recipe to prepare, I’m aware, it can be made in advance (literally a few days before serving it!) and reheat it on the day, so you don’t need to bury yourself with extra work before “show time”, but you can just chill and enjoy a drink and a chat with your family and guests.
Let’s immediately skip to the fun part and see how it all comes together!
How to Make Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
Important note: for the best outcome, I’d suggest to get your hands on a rather uniform butternut squash.
To be extra clear, one that doesn’t have a huge bum bum and a very thin neck. Just try to select a squash the has roughly the same circumference on both ends and you’ll be good to go!
Next we are going to need:
Soya TVP (textured vegetable protein, aka vegan mince). You can substitute it with any vegan mince of your choice. I personally like to work with this particular ingredient as I consider it a “white canvas” that can be flavoured to my liking.
Wine. I choose white wine to go with this filling as it mainly does not stain and darken the filling. As this is a recipe suitable for vegans, you should pay attention while purchasing and look for a vegan friendly wine. You can also use beer to flavour it up, or no alcohol at all.
Nuts. They add an extra level of texture. I chose walnuts and pistachios as I think they go very well with the flavours of this recipe, but you can use any other nut or nut mix of your choice. I’ve tried this filling also with dry fruits like cranberries and it actually was really nice, too on the sweet side to my liking though, this is why I decided to leave them out of the “official” ingredient list. And of course you can totally omit the nuts if you have guests that are intolerant or allergic.
Spices & Seasonings
First step is to roast our butternut squash.
Carefully cut the squash in two and remove the seeds from both halves with a spoon.
Place the squash on a baking tray (better if covered in baking paper), brush it with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and fresh sage.
Bake in a preheated oven (200°C) for around 45 minutes. As time can vary according to the size of the squash used, I highly suggest to try prick it with a fork or wooden skewer before removing from the oven. If the squash is fork tender it means it’s ready. Otherwise increase the cooking time by a few more minutes.
Set the squash aside and leave to cool down completely.
As soon as the roasted butternut squash reaches room temperature (or it’s lightly lukewarm), you can start to carefully scooping out its flesh, making sure to leave around 1 cm/half inch from both sides and bottom.
Keep the pulp as it will be added to the filling further on.
For the filling. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 finely chopped red onion to a pan, and sauté until translucid.
Add the soya TVP (there’s no need to soak it), sauté for a minute or two, then pour the white wine. Let the wine to evaporate (2-3 minutes on medium heat), then add all the the spices and seasonings.
Give the mixture a little stir before cover it with water. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Note: Do not worry if the water seems too much at this point. Remember, we haven’t soaked the TVP before adding it to the recipe, and the granules will absorb all the liquids.
Add from 100 to 130 grams of pulp (you can add it all if you like, but be aware it will probably be too sweet). Also combine the nuts (both roughly chopped according to your own taste), mix well, turn off the heat and wait for the filling to cool down.
Next scoop the filling into the two squash halves and gently press it to the bottom and sides.
Turn one half on the other, as per rebuilding the squash, and secure with a piece of kitchen string.
Before serving, bake the filled butternut squash for 30 minutes at 180°C (150°F), just enough to reheat it.
You can prepare the squash in advance minus the last bake and store in the fridge for up to 4 days before serving it.
I suggest to accompany this wonderful main with a fragrant and flavourful white wine gravy (I’ll include the recipe below) and at least a couple of sides of your choice.
In the next picture I served it with my Easy Skin-On Thyme Roasted Potatoes and Vegan Green Bean Casserole.
I’ll link you a few from my blog for you to check for inspiration:
– Vegan Russian Salad
– Light Coleslaw Salad
– Vegan Deviled Potatoes (two ways!)
– Easy Romanesco Broccoli Stew
– Simple Blossom and Courgette Bake
– Cauliflower Cheese Bake
– Creamy Leek Bake
– Sautéed Savoy Cabbage
Looking for other main inspo?! Take a look at these (*ones are or can be made gluten free):
– Mushroom & Shallot Vegan Pies*
– Roasted Cauliflower Wellington*
– Turkey(less) Roast*
– Pull Apart Brioche Bread Tree
– Butternut Squash, Brussels and Cranberries Lasagna*
– Homemade Vegan Wellington
– Veggie Lasagna with Pesto and Mozzarella Sauce*
– Black Bean Meatballs with Cranberries*
– Last Minute Roast Dinner*
Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Butternut squash (approx 1 kg; if using bigger adjust filling accordingly – see notes)
225 g Water
75 g White Wine
50 g Soya TVP
20 g Walnuts (1/4 cup)
10 g Pistachios (1 tbsp)
1 Red Onion
1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tbsp Olive Oil (+ more to roast squash)
1/2 tbsp Bouillon
1 tsp Sage (+ more to season squash)
1 tsp Chicken Seasoning (Vegan)
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Pepper to Taste
…for the White Wine Gravy…
350 g Water (or vegetable broth*)
125 g White Wine (vegan; the dry type)
50 g Vegan Butter
3-4 Sage Leaves (finely chopped)
2-3 Shallots
2.5 tbsp All Purpose Flour (you can also use GF)
1 tbsp Bouillon (omit if using veggie broth*)
Nutmeg (pinch)
Salt
Pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven at 200° C (390°F). Cut the butternut squash in two lengthwise, scoop the seeds out and place skin down on an oven tray with parchment paper. Drizzle some olive oil and season with salt, pepper and (preferably) fresh sage leaves. Bake for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil, add the red onion finely chopped, and sauté until translucid (no less than 5 mins).
3. Add the soya TVP (there’s no need to soak it), sauté for a minute or two, then white wine goes in.
4. Allow the wine to evaporate (2-3 minutes on medium heat), then you can start adding all the spices and seasonings: vegetarian bouillon, chicken spice mix (make sure it does not contain actual chicken), sage, nutmeg, nutritional yeast (nooch), salt and pepper.
5. Give it a little stir to allow the condiments to mix through, then cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes. Do not worry if the water seems too much at this point. Remember, we haven’t soaked the TVP before adding it to the recipe, and the granules will absorb all the liquids.
6. Once the butternut squash is ready, allow it to cool down to room temperature.
7. With a spoon scoop out the butternut squash pulp, making sure to keep a layer of 1/2 inch/1 cm on the bottom and both sides.
8. Add the nuts both roughly chopped according to your own taste, and 100 to 130 grams of pulp to the filling pan (you can add it all if you like, but be aware it will probably be too sweet). Mix well, turn off the heat and wait for it to cool down.
9. When the filling is at room temperature or just lukewarm, scoop it into the two squash halves and gently press it to the bottom and sides.
10. Turn one half on the other, as per rebuilding the squash and secure with a piece of kitchen string.
11. For the gravy: heat the butter in a pan, add the shallots (finely or roughly chopped, according to your own taste) and the sage. Cook until the onion turns translucent, then pour in the white wine. Cook out the alcohol for a minute or two, then gently stir in the flour. Remove from heat and add the water (or broth) a bit at a time, stirring well to avoid forming lumps. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper (add now the bouillon if using just water) and allow the gravy to thicken (it can take up to 5 minutes).
12. Before serving, bake the filled butternut squash for 30 minutes at 180°C (350°F), just enough to reheat it. Remove the string, slice it and serve it with the white wine gravy and your choosen sides.
*Happy Holidays*
I suggest to accompany this wonderful main with a fragrant and flavourful white wine gravy (I’ll include the recipe below) and at least a couple of sides of your choice.
I’ll link you a few from my blog for you to check for inspiration:
– Easy Skin-On Thyme Roasted Potatoes
– Vegan Green Bean Casserole
– Vegan Russian Salad
– Light Coleslaw Salad
– Vegan Deviled Potatoes (two ways!)
– Easy Romanesco Broccoli Stew
– Simple Blossom and Courgette Bake
– Cauliflower Cheese Bake
– Creamy Leek Bake
– Sautéed Savoy Cabbage
Looking for other main inspo?! Take a look at these (*ones are or can be made gluten free):
– Mushroom & Shallot Vegan Pies*
– Roasted Cauliflower Wellington*
– Turkey(less) Roast*
– Pull Apart Brioche Bread Tree
– Butternut Squash, Brussels and Cranberries Lasagna*
– Homemade Vegan Wellington
– Veggie Lasagna with Pesto and Mozzarella Sauce*
– Black Bean Meatballs with Cranberries*
– Last Minute Roast Dinner*
