Roast Squash with Goat's Cheese & Puy Lentils
4 min read
Discover the joys of Autumn with this delicious roast squash, served with soft goat's cheese, Pug lentils and sage. It's a great seasonal recipe as the cold nights draw in.
Preparation Time: 25 Minutes
Cooking Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 800g delicata, acorn or butternut squash
- 4 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
- 25g pumpkin seeds
- 10 sage leaves
- 2 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar
- 250g pouch cooked puy lentils
- 100g soft goat's cheese
- 4 amaretti biscuits
For the kale:
- 100g kale, rinsed, dried and thick stems removed
- ½ tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
Method:
- Heat oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Toss the kale lightly in the oil, ½ tsp salt, sesame, and chilli, massaging the leaves until coated with the oil and seasoning. Arrange the leaves in one layer in a roasting tin or baking tray – you might need to use more than one to keep them in an even layer. Roast for 15-20 mins until crisp and dry but not brown.
- Once dried, remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Wash the seeds to remove the sticky membrane, dry them with kitchen paper, and set aside. Cut the squash into 1cm thick slices (don’t worry about peeling them), and arrange on a baking sheet or in a roasting tin. Drizzle over 1 tbsp oil, season, then turn and drizzle with a little more oil. Season again and roast for 30-40 mins until tender and caramelising, turning halfway through. Remove from the oven.
- Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat until it’s shimmering. Add the sage leaves and fry for 15-30 seconds, turning them once. Remove using tongs or a slotted spoon, place on kitchen paper and scatter with sea salt. Add the pumpkin seeds to the hot oil and fry for a few mins until puffed and crunchy. Drain the oil into a bowl and whisk with the red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Dress the lentils with half the dressing, then spoon onto the plates or serving platter. Arrange the crispy kale and squash on top, crumble over the goat's cheese, and drizzle over a bit more dressing. Finally, top with the fried seeds, and crumble over the amaretti biscuits and crispy sage leaves.
Credit: Rosie Birkett