Ingredients

(serves 4)

Butternut Squash          1

Olive Oil

Diced Red Onion           1

Chopped Parsley            30g

Minced garlic                  2tsp

Finely sliced chives        10g

Salt

Pepper

Puy Lentils                     100g

Fresh Cranberries         50g

Dried Cranberries         50g

Fresh Thyme                  6g

Nutmeg                        1/2 tsp

Red wine                       140ml

Veg Stock                      150ml

Chopped Fresh Spinach 80g

Cashew nuts: Blanched and roughly chopped             90g

Method

1. Preheat the Aquaforno oven to 190°C / 350°F

2. Slice the butternut squash in half length ways and scoop out and discard the seeds.

3. Brush or spray the butternut squash with a little oil and then bake on the pizza stone in the base oven for 30-40 minutes until the flesh is tender enough to scoop out with a spoon.

4. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

5. In a large saucepan or frying pan with a lid, heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes until softened.

6. Add the lentils, cranberries, rosemary, thyme leaves, nutmeg, red wine and vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then cover and lower to a gentle simmer.

7. Cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. (you may need to add a little more water near the end of cooking time if the lentils have soaked up all the liquid – keep an eye on them and stir every so often)

8. Take one half of the butternut squash and scoop out most of the flesh with a spoon, leaving a little all the way around so that the squash holds its shape. (Be careful not to tear the skin if possible.)

9. Add the squash flesh to the pan of lentil mix, and mash it into the mixture with a fork. Repeat with the other squash half. Taste the mixture, and add salt as necessary.

10. Stir the spinach and cashew nuts into the lentil mixture, and mix well to combine, then spoon the mixture into one of the  halves of the squash until it is above level there may be a little left over, but keep this aside to serve separately – don’t over-fill or you will lose the nice, neat circular shape of your roast.

11. Place the empty half on top of the other, then tie with butchers string every 3-4 centimeters.(If you don’t have butchery string, you can use normal thick string – just soak it in water for 20 minutes to help it not dry out and break when heating up) 

12. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until piping hot throughout.