Lentil-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

• 3 acorn squash (1200 g)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (27 g)
• 1 teaspoon salt (6 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper (1 g)
• 1 onion (200 g)
• 2 celery stalks (100 g)
• 2 garlic cloves (6 g)
• 1 teaspoon sage (1 g)
• 1 teaspoon thyme (1 g)
• 1 cup lentils (192 g)
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (600 g)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (70 g)
• 1/2 cup pecans (55 g)
• 1/2 cup feta (75 g)
• 1/4 cup parsley (15 g)

Instructions

1. Heat oven. Heat oven to 400°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Halve and seed squash. Rub cut sides with 1 tablespoon oil, half the salt, and pepper. Set halves cut-side down on pan.
2. Cook vegetables. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring often, until soft and glossy, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic, sage, and thyme; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
3. Simmer lentils. Add rinsed lentils and broth, then bring mixture to a steady simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring twice, until lentils are tender and most broth is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Finish filling. Remove skillet from heat. Fold in cranberries, pecans, parsley, feta, and remaining salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. If the filling looks loose, let it stand 2 minutes until spoonable but not soupy.
5. Stuff squash. Turn squash cut-side up and divide filling among six cavities. Press filling lightly into each half, keeping the squash shells intact. Return pan to oven and bake until filling is hot, 10 minutes.
6. Rest and serve. Rest stuffed squash on the pan for 5 minutes so filling settles. Transfer halves with a wide spatula to a warm platter. Garnish with extra parsley, pecans, or cranberries, if desired.

Notes

• For a vegan filling, omit feta and add toasted pepitas or pecans. Drizzle finished squash with olive oil for richness.
• For canned lentils, drain and rinse two 15-ounce cans, then reduce broth to 1/2 cup. Simmer until hot and cohesive, about 5 minutes.
• If squash halves vary in size, lightly fill smaller halves and serve extra lentils beside the platter instead of overpacking fragile shells.