Stuffed squashetta

Serves 6 Prep 15 mins Cook 2 hrs 150g pearl barley

1 vegetable stock cube

25g pine nuts

25g flaked almonds

1 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 large butternut squash (about 1.2kg)

3 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

200g feta, crumbled small bunch of sage, picked and chopped few rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped

50g dried cranberries or apricots,

chopped, or a mixture of both

1 lemon, zested

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE

2 tbsp tahini

1 lemon, juiced

1 tbsp honey small bunch of parsley, chopped

1 Cook the pearl barley following pack instructions, crumbling the stock cube into the boiling water for extra flavour. Drain and cool.

2 Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a dry pan until nutty brown. Set aside. Use the same pan to toast the spices for 2 mins, until aromatic, then grind using a pestle and mortar.

3 Cut the squash in half lengthways through the centre. Scoop out and discard the seeds and any fibrous bits. Scrape out a channel down the centre of both squash halves for stuffing, you may need to score the flesh with a knife first if your squash is very firm. The squash shell should be about 1.5cm thick all over when you’ve finished. Roughly chop any squash you remove and set aside. Score the flesh of the 2 squash halves in a criss-cross pattern, trying not to pierce the skin, rub with 1 tbsp oil and season well.

4 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a pan and cook the onion, chopped squash and leek for 8-10 mins until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for another min. Add the pearl barley, nuts, spices, feta, herbs, dried fruit and lemon zest. Season and cook for a min or 2 more, then pack the filling into the cavities in the 2 squash halves, keep any leftover stuffing. Tie the halves back together with kitchen string, as you would a joint of meat. The squash will shrink a little as it cooks, so make the knots tight. Rub the outside with more oil and season well. Alternatively, wrap well in foil.

5 Place in a roasting tin lined with some foil or parchment and cook for 1 hr. Check if the squash is cooked by inserting a knife, it should go in with little resistance and the flesh should feel soft. Scatter any remaining stuffing around the squashetta and return to the oven for another 5 mins to warm through. Mix the tahini, lemon juice, honey and a drizzle of water to make a dressing. Carve the squash into slices and serve drizzled with the tahini sauce and scattered with parsley.

PER SERVING 430 kcals, fat 22g, saturates 6g, carbs 42g, sugars 15g, fibre 6g, protein 13g, salt 1.3g