Hasselback Squash with Pesto and Cauliflower Puree
Bright, comforting, and fuss-free — this colourful dish is your new dinner hero! Prep the squash and puree up to two days ahead, then simply reheat and assemble when it’s time to serve. One large squash feeds 4–6 as a main or 8–10 as a hearty side. Add a little cream or butter for extra indulgence — it’s Christmas, after all!
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Serves 4
1 butternut squash – peeled, halved and deseeded
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
50g butter
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Salt
1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets
200ml double cream
200ml vegetable stock
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
3 tbsp fresh pesto
Fresh thyme to garnish (optional)
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Preparation Time: 20 minutes. Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.
1.‘Hasselback’ the squash by placing a couple of chopsticks or slim wooden spoons either side of the squash half, this will prevent the knife going all the way through. Cut slits into the rounded side of the squash halves almost all the way through.
2. Place on a baking tray and brush with the olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper.
3. Place in the oven CAST IRON OVEN: on the 4th set of runners in the roasting oven or oven on R7. FAN OVEN: preheated to R7/200oC/400oF. Roast for 45 minutes or until the squash is tender.
4. While the squash is cooking, make the cauliflower puree. Heat the butter in a saucepan on the simmering plate, hotplate on simmering setting or induction on medium high.
5. Add the onion, garlic, thyme if using and a pinch of salt and cook gently for 5 - 10 minutes until the onions are softened without browning.
6. Stir in the cauliflower and most of the cream and stock, keeping a little back to adjust the consistency when blending. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the cauliflower is soft to the point of a knife.
7. Cool the cooked cauliflower mixture slightly before blending to a puree with a hand held stick blender.
8. Add the remaining cream and stock if needed to make a thick but spoonable puree. Season well with salt and pepper until it tastes delicious!
9. Toast the seeds in a dry pan on the simmering plate, hotplate on simmering setting or induction on medium high.
10. Once the squash is cooked, remove from the oven and spoon over the pesto. Leave to stand for a few minutes to let the warmth of the cooked squash allow the pesto to seep into the slits.
11. Serve either on a sharing platter or individual plates. Spoon some cauliflower puree on to a warm platter or plates, divide the roasted squash between the plates if necessary. Top with a little more puree and the toasted seeds and finish with a drizzle of pesto around the edge of the puree and scatter the thyme on top.
12. Serve warm.
