Roast squash with charred red pepper sauce
Seema's veg-tastic main is packed with nutrients and fibre! This is a great way to turn leftover squash or pumpkin into a tasty meal.
Each serving provides, 592 kcal, 49g carbohydrates (of which 17g sugars), 31g fat (8g saturated fat), 21g protein, 15g fibre, 0.71g salt.
Ingredients
For the squash
- 1 butternut squash, seeds removed and cut into 2cm/¾in thick wedges
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 4 tomatoes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
- 300g jar roasted red peppers. drained
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
For the lentils
- 2 x 250g packets cooked Puy lentils
- bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
- bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 100g/3½oz goats’ cheese, to garnish
Method
To make the squash, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Tip the squash into a large roasting tin, add the oil, cumin, chilli powder and salt and toss together. Nestle the tomatoes between the pieces of squash then roast for 20 minutes until the tomato skins begin to char and fall away.
Remove the tomatoes from the roasting tin and leave to cool. Return the squash to the oven for a further 15–20 minutes until softened and caramelised,
To make the sauce, peel away and discard the tomato skins, then finely chop the flesh with the red peppers. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and fry gently for 3–4 minutes until golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and peppers, cumin and chilli powder. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant and then add 100ml/3½fl oz of water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, tip the lentils into a large bowl and add the parsley, coriander, lemon juice, oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything together.
Spoon the lentil mixture onto a serving plate and top with the roast squash and red pepper sauce. Dot the goats’ cheese over the top and garnish with the lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
Don’t bother peeling the squash, the skin softens after the long roast and contains lots of fibre.