Roasted Butternut Squash with Spiced Lentils, Feta and Pine Nuts

Do you have enough of butternut squash recipes to last you through the season? This Roasted Butternut Squash with Spiced Lentils, Feta and Pine Nuts is an excellent meat-free dinner you will want to make again and again!

We are not a vegetarian family. In fact, we are all meat lovers, yet we eat vegetarian meals 2-3 times a week.  Some days just call for light meat-free meals, and especially now that the weather is turning warm and sunny.

This Roasted Butternut Squash with Spiced Lentils, Feta and Pine nuts is a beautiful vegetarian meal that will not make you miss meat one bit!

How to turn your butternut squash recipe into a nutrition powerhouse

I love having a few of my favourite butternut squash recipes to choose from, so I can incorporate this lovely vegetable in so many different ways!

This recipe is perfectly balanced in flavour and incredibly satisfying, not to mention the nutrition factor. Butternut squash, lentils, herbs and nuts equal vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein.

It’s the whole nine yards, folks!

Brad is a huge steak and burger fan but he scarfed it down like there is no tomorrow and hoarded the leftovers all to himself for lunch.

From what I hear he became the envy of the office when he broke out his lunch at work and had to fight off his boss for the right to eat it. Alright, maybe not quite so dramatic, it is England after all, and they are quite civilised and well-mannered here but you get the picture. It’s delicious!

The ingredient list alone makes me want to break into a song of sorts. Aren’t they lovely?

Ready to make it with me? I am so excited because I feel like you can never have enough of delicious butternut squash recipes!

How do I make roasted butternut squash with spiced lentils recipe?

Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Wash the lentils and put them in a pot with plenty of water, bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt and cook until tender but not falling apart for 20 min.

Cube the butternut squash, toss with a tablespoons of olive oil and spread on a shallow baking pan, sprinkle with some salt. Roast for 30 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, slice the onions and cook them  in remaining olive oil over low heat for 5 minutes without browning, then add cumin, turmeric, paprika, garlic and some salt and cook for a minute longer stirring.

Then add canned tomatoes, half the parsley and half the cilantro, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt.

Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Stir in cooked lentils in the last 5 minutes.

Add the spiced lentil mixture to the pan with roasted butternut squash and toss gently to coat the squash evenly. Add remaining parsley and cilantro.

Serve with crumbled feta and a sprinkle of  pine nuts.  It goes exceptionally well with some crusty bread or a small portion of potato pierogi. 😉

More butternut squash recipes:

• Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi
• Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage and Goat Cheese
• Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
• Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry
• Butternut Squash and Corn Chowder

Roasted Butternut Squash with Spiced lentils, Feta and Pine nuts

Roasted Butternut Squash with spiced lentils, feta and pine nuts will become one of your favourite butternut squash recipes!

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Course: Main

Cuisine: Modern European

Keyword: butternut squash recipes

Servings: 4 people

Author: Julia Frey of Vikalinka

Ingredients

• 1 cup/250 gr- green lentils
• 1/4 cup/75 gr- pine nuts
• 1 large-butternut squash peeled and cubed
• 3 tbsp.-olive oil
• 1 large- red onion sliced
• 1 tbsp. of each-ground cumin ground turmeric and paprika
• 2- garlic cloves crushed
• 400 gr- canned tomatoes chopped
• pinch of sugar
• 1 bunch/30g- flat leaf parsley chopped
• 1/2 bunch/15g- cilantro chopped
• 1/2 cup/ 125 gr- feta crumbled

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Wash the lentils and put them in a pot with plenty of water, bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt and cook until tender but not falling apart for 20 min.
• Cube the butternut squash, toss with a tablespoons of olive oil and spread on a shallow baking pan, sprinkle with some salt. Roast for 30 minutes.
• While the squash is roasting, slice the onions and cook them in remaining olive oil over low heat for 5 minutes without browning, then add cumin, turmeric, paprika, garlic and some salt and cook for a minute longer stirring.
• Then add canned tomatoes, half the parsley and half the cilantro, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in cooked lentils in the last 5 minutes.
• Add the spiced lentil mixture to the pan with roasted butternut squash and toss gently to coat the squash evenly. Add remaining parsley and cilantro.
• Serve with crumbled feta and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

Tried this recipe?Mention @vikalinka or tag #vikalinka!

*Recipe slightly adapted from Delicious magazine.