Herby hasselback squash

Name: Herby hasselback squash
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.2 kg butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthways and seeds discarded; 16 sprig/s Cooks’ Ingredients Pot Thyme; 4 clove/s garlic, 3 unpeeled, 1 crushed; 2 red onions, peeled and cut into thin wedges; 3 tbsp olive oil; 200 g quick cook Italian spelt; 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock; 50 g pitted Kalamata olives, halved; 40 g pumpkin seeds; 100 g feta, crumbled; 40 g pomegranate seeds; Greek yogurt or tahini, and green salad, to serve (optional)

A satisfyingly showy way to serve a simple squash, which also makes a great veggie centrepiece for Christmas Day. You can easily double the recipe if needs be. Use our robust stainless steel roasting tray for excellent heat distribution and high-temperature roasting.

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VegetarianHealthyLow in saturated fat2 of your 5 a day

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare20 mins
Cook1 hr
Total time1 hr 20 mins
Plusresting

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

Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Take one squash half and, about 1cm above the cut side, push a long metal skewer through the length from top to bottom. Put at-side down on a board and use a sharp knife to cut slits at 0.5cm intervals through the squash; the skewer will prevent you from slicing completely through it. Remove the skewer and repeat on the second half. Open the slits a little and insert the thyme sprigs into a few of them.
Toss the 3 unpeeled garlic cloves and the onion wedges in a large roasting tin with 1 tbsp oil; season. In a small bowl, mix the crushed garlic with the remaining 2 tbsp oil; brush this all over the squash, season and arrange in the tin. Cover with foil; roast for 20 minutes.
Remove the tin from the oven, discard the foil and add the spelt; pour in the stock. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring the spelt halfway through. Stir in the olives. Turn the oven up to 220ºC, gas mark 7, and roast for another 20 minutes until the squash is golden and the spelt is tender; rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the pumpkin seeds on a small baking tray for 5 minutes.
Scatter over the feta, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds. Serve with yogurt or tahini and a green salad, if liked.

Cook’s tip

Use wooden spoons

If you don’t have a long metal skewer to stop your knife from going right through the squash, put the halves flat-side down on a chopping board between two wooden spoon handles.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe