Stuffed Butternut Squash with Chickpeas, Cèpes and Hazelnuts

When the first cèpes appear at the market in the Southwest, everyone talks about them: who found some in the woods, where, how many. I love them simply fried with garlic and parsley, but a handful (fresh or dried) goes a long way in a dish like this one, where their deep, woody taste soaks into the chickpeas and the soft squash around them. Hazelnuts, a little ricotta and a pinch of Espelette pepper do the rest.

Halved and roasted, a butternut becomes its own serving dish, so this looks festive on the table with very little effort. The chickpeas and ricotta make it a proper main course with enough protein to keep you going, which matters more and more as we get older; I explain how much protein you need after 50 and where to find it. Serve it with a green salad, or with braised chicons if you have some. And if you’d like help putting together meals like this for your own week, book a free 20-minute call with me.

Servings

4

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

55 Min

Total time

1 Hr 15 Min

Cuisine

French

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Stuffed Butternut Squash with Chickpeas, Cèpes and Hazelnuts

Roasted butternut squash halves filled with chickpeas, cèpes, ricotta and herbs, baked under a golden hazelnut and Espelette crumb. A filling vegetarian dinner for autumn.

Ingredients

For the squash

• 2 small butternut squashes, about 800 g (1¾ lb) each
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling

• 15 g (½ oz) dried cèpes (porcini), or 150 g (5 oz) fresh cèpes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 tin (400 g / 14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 100 g (½ cup) ricotta
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
• A small bunch of coriander or flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra to serve

For the crumb

• 40 g (⅓ cup) hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 30 g (½ cup) fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A pinch of Espelette pepper or mild chilli flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), or 180°C fan. Cut the squashes in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern, brush with the olive oil, season and roast cut side up on a tray for 35 to 40 minutes, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, if you use dried cèpes, soak them in 150 ml (⅔ cup) hot water for 15 minutes. Lift them out, squeeze gently and chop them, keeping the soaking water. If you use fresh cèpes, clean and slice them.
3. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion gently for 8 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, cèpes and thyme and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more (5 minutes for fresh cèpes).
4. Add the chickpeas and 3 tablespoons of the mushroom soaking water (or plain water), cook for 3 minutes, then crush roughly with a fork.
5. Scoop out some of the roasted squash flesh, leaving a wall of about 1 cm (½ inch). Mash the scooped flesh into the chickpea mixture with the ricotta, lemon zest and herbs. Taste and season.
6. Pile the filling into the squash halves. Mix the hazelnuts, breadcrumbs, olive oil and Espelette pepper and scatter over the top.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crumb is golden. Scatter with extra herbs and serve warm.

Make it vegan

Replace the ricotta with 3 tablespoons of cashew butter loosened with a little lemon juice and water.

Make it gluten-free

Use gluten-free breadcrumbs, or just the chopped hazelnuts for the topping.

Ahead of time

Roast and fill the squash up to a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Add the crumb and bake for 25 minutes before serving.

Per serving (about)

½ stuffed squash: 14 g protein, 13 g fibre.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @catherinepolet.coach on instagram and hashtag it #healthydeliciousrecipes