If you're looking for a delicious vegetarian centrepiece for Christmas or Sunday lunch, this stuffed butternut squash is a brilliant alternative to a traditional nut roast. It’s packed with flavour, easy to prepare, and looks beautifully festive on the table.
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Post updated October 2026
The soft roasted squash pairs perfectly with the savoury stuffing made from grains, rice, onions, garlic and herbs — simple ingredients that come together to make something really special.
🎄 Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Butternut Squash
- ✨ A great vegetarian alternative to nut roast
- 🍽️ Makes an impressive main dish with very little fuss
- 🌿 Full of flavour thanks to garlic, onions, herbs and tomato purée
- ⏱️ Uses a ready-cooked grain and rice pouch to save time
- 🎁 Perfect for Christmas, Sunday lunch or any cosy winter meal
Inspired by a recipe from Olive magazine for butternut squash stuffed with blue cheese and leeks.
I opted for a completely different mix, leaning toward a Spanish style with smoky grains and rice, and it turned out to be delicious. 😋
I added red onion, garlic and a squeeze of tomato purée (paste in the US) along with chopped flat-leaf parsley.
I used Merchant Gourmet Spanish-style grains and rice, but you can use your favourite brand.
🛒Ingredients You Need
- 🎃 Butternut squash
- 🧈 Unsalted butter
- 🧅 Red onion
- 🧄 Garlic clove
- 🍅 Tomato purée
- 🍞 Soft white breadcrumbs
- 🍚 Spanish‑style mixed grain and rice pouch
- 🌿 Flat‑leaf parsley
- 🧂 Salt and black pepper
🔪 How to Make Stuffed Butternut Squash
Full instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
Using a small, sharp knife, carefully remove just the stalk part of the butternut squash. Don’t cut off the entire end, as it’s tough and you won’t be able to slice through it.
Slice the squash in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds, and remove a little flesh from the neck to leave a shell roughly 2 cm thick. I scored an outline around the seeds and scooped out the flesh with a dessert spoon.
Finely chop the scooped-out squash and cook it gently with butter, onion, salt and pepper for 15 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for another minute.
Stir in the breadcrumbs and grains until heated through, then check the seasoning and add the chopped parsley.
Rub each squash half with olive oil and spoon in the stuffing. If you have any leftover stuffing, keep it in the fridge.
Fit the two halves together and tie with butcher’s string. Place in a roasting pan and use scrunched foil to stop it rolling.
Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until tender but still holding its shape. Add any leftover stuffing to the pan near the end to reheat. Carve and serve.
🥄 Other Butternut Squash Recipes You Might Like
- Butternut Squash with Feta
- Roasted Butternut and Carrot Soup
- Caribbean-style Butternut Squash Curry
- Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry
- Quinoa with Roasted Butternut
Stuffing for Butternut Squash
Mix and match to create your own delicious mixture using any of the ideas below.
- quinoa
- rice
- bulgar wheat
- roasted veggies
- nuts
- feta cheese (vegetarian)
The list is endless!
Have you tried this recipe?
Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below!
Roasted Stuffed Butternut Squash
A vegetarian roast is a fantastic alternative to the classic nut roast at Christmas and tastes great any time of the year.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash, washed and halved lengthways
- Olive oil
- 65g unsalted butter
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp tomato purée (paste in the US)
- 40g soft white breadcrumbs (approx. 1 slice of regular sliced bread)
- 1 × 250g smoky Spanish‑style grain and rice microwave pouch
- flat‑leaf parsley
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the butternut. Trim only the stalk from the butternut squash, leaving the rest of the end intact.
- Cut the squash in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds and some flesh from the neck to leave a shell about 2cm thick.
- Finely chop the scooped‑out squash. Add it to a frying pan with the butter, onion, salt and pepper.
- Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook gently for 15 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
- Chop the parsley. Stir the breadcrumbs and grains together until warmed through, then check the seasoning and mix in the parsley.
- Rub each squash half with olive oil. Spoon the stuffing into the cavities, fit the two halves together, and tie securely with cooking string.
- Place the squash in a roasting pan. Use scrunched foil on either side to stop it rolling.
- Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until tender but still holding its shape.
- Add any leftover stuffing to the pan near the end of cooking to reheat.
- Transfer the stuffed squash to a board. Carve and serve.
Notes
- Large squash may need extra roasting time; check that it’s tender before carving.
- Any grain pouch can be used if smoky Spanish‑style isn’t available.
- Warm leftover stuffing in the roasting pan during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Tie the squash securely so it holds its shape for serving at the table.
This looks like a wonderful vegetarian centrepiece. I like the idea of using a ready-cooked grain and rice pouch for the stuffing, and tying the two halves together so it holds its shape for carving at the table. The smoky Spanish-style flavour with garlic, onion and tomato puree sounds really comforting for a Sunday lunch. Thank you for sharing such a clear and practical recipe.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment, I’m hoping you love this as much as we do.
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