Baked Butternut Squash Recipe | Food

Date Published:: 02/11/2009

Welcome in the winter - serve a meltingly tender squash with a creamy fluffy centre

Serves 2
Takes 10 minutes to make and 60 in the oven

Nutritional Information

Per serving:
231kcals
7g fat (3.6g saturated)

Ingredients

1 butternut squash
3 tbsp half fat crème fraîche
1 tsp paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp coarse breadcrumbs

Method: How to make baked butternut squash

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Halve the squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds and threads with a spoon and discard them. Put in a baking dish and roast for 40 - 50 minutes until the flesh is soft when you test it with a knife

2. Put the squash halves on a board and leave until cool enough to handle (or put on thick rubber gloves to hold the hot vegetable and do it straightaway). Scrape the flesh into a bowl, leaving a thin border and keeping the skin and shape of the squash intact.

Tip:

If the squash skin collapses, scrape out all the flesh and pile the mixture into two small, or one larger, gratin dishes for serving - it will taste just as good.

3. Roughly mash the flesh with a fork and mix with the crème fraîche, paprika and spring onions.

4. Pile the mixture back into the shells. Put on the baking dish and sprinkle with the grated cheese and breadcrumbs and a little more paprika. Put the squash shells back in the oven and cook for another 10 -15 minutes until browned on top and piping hot.