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Stuffed butternut squash with rice, dates & feta

This stuffed butternut squash recipe is one of my favorite dishes from my new e-book “Festive Oriental”. There you will find 14 easy-to-cook festive recipes with step-by-step pictures. If you like this recipe, you’ll love the others in the e-book ❤️.

Butternut squash recipe
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Click here for the e-book:

Festive Oriental Ebook
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Butternut squash recipe – the ingredients

Here’s an overview of the ingredients. As always, you’ll find the exact quantities at the very bottom of the recipe card:

  • Butternut squash – baking makes it wonderfully soft and aromatic.
  • Basmati rice – pre-cooked, e.g. leftovers from the previous day.
  • Onion & garlic
  • Pistachios, raisins and dates – lend an oriental note and subtle sweetness.
  • Spices – cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, cumin and turmeric
  • Feta – for the vegan version, simply leave it out or use plant-based cheese
  • Fresh herbs – coriander or parsley for freshness.
  • Mediterranean dressing made from olive oil, citrus juice, Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar rounds everything off.
Butternut squash recipe

Stuffed butternut squash – step-by-step instructions

  • Step 1: Cut the butternut squash in half, remove the seeds, rub with olive oil, season and bake in the oven until golden brown.
  • Step 2: Meanwhile, briefly roast the pistachios.
  • Step 3: Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil, add the cooked rice and the spices.
  • Step 4: Stir in the dates, raisins and lemon or orange zest and toast briefly.
  • Step 5: Scoop out some of the pumpkin flesh and mix into the rice. Add the pistachios, fresh herbs and feta.
  • Step 6: Prepare a simple dressing from olive oil, citrus juice, mustard and vinegar and fold in part of the dressing.
  • Step 7: Spoon the filling into the pumpkin halves and bake briefly in the oven. Serve with fresh herbs and the remaining dressing.
Butternut squash recipe

Frequently asked questions

  • How long does butternut squash need to bake in the oven?
    Depending on the size, around 40-50 minutes until the flesh is soft. If you stuff it afterwards, add another 10 minutes.
  • Can you prepare stuffed butternut squash?
    Yes, you can prepare the pumpkin and the filling separately the day before and assemble and bake just before serving.
  • How can you make the recipe vegan?
    Simply replace the feta with a plant-based alternative or roasted cashews – the creamy texture remains and the dish is completely vegan.
  • How long does the stuffed butternut squash keep?
    It stays fresh in the fridge in an airtight tin for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Butternut squash recipe

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Ideal for fall and winter
  • Healthy, filling & easy to make
  • Full of flavors from the Mediterranean cuisine
  • Easy to prepare and warm up
Butternut squash recipe
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💡 Shiba’s tip:

  • If you are serving the dish as a main course, add some crumbled feta and fresh pomegranate seeds to the warm butternut squash just before serving – this adds color, freshness and a slightly tart contrast to the sweet filling.
  • For a vegan version, simply replace the feta with plant-based cheese or a handful of roasted cashews.
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Butternut squash recipe
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What do you think of my butternut squash recipe?

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Just leave a comment below or let me know on Instagram what you think of this recipe. I always appreciate praise, additional tips, and constructive criticism.

Best regards

Unbenanntes Projekt 23
Butternut squash recipe

Stuffed butternut squash with rice, dates & feta

5 from 4 votes
An aromatic vegetarian oven dish with butternut squash, basmati rice, dates, pistachios and feta. Perfect as a main course or festive side dish - tenderly baked on the outside, with a fruity and spicy filling on the inside.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Other 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 Portions
Course: Christmas menu, Main course, oven dish, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Mediterranean, oriental
Calories: 181
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large butternut squash approx. 1 kg, halved lengthwise and cored
  • 30 ml Olive oil or 30 g butter / ghee for a fuller flavor
  • 30 g chopped pistachios
  • ½ small red onion finely chopped (approx. 40 g)
  • 3 Garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 250 g cooked basmati rice
  • 40 g Raisins or raisins
  • 2 Medjool dates finely diced (approx. 30 g)
  • Zest of ½ orange or lemon
  • 15 g fresh coriander or parsley
  • 40 g crumbled feta optional, omit or substitute plant-based for a vegan version
Spices:
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • ½ tsp Paprika powder
  • ⅛ tsp Turmeric
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp coarse sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
Dressing
  • 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 10 ml Orange juice or lemon juice
  • 5 ml Dijon mustard
  • 1 ml Red wine vinegar
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (fan oven: 180 °C) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Rub the butternut squash with 15 ml olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place cut-side down on the baking tray. Bake for about 40-50 minutes until the flesh is soft. Add the pistachios to the tray in the last 5 minutes and roast until golden brown.
    Butternut Kürbis Rezept
  3. Heat the remaining oil (or butter/ghee) in a pan, add the onion and fry for 3 minutes until translucent. Then add the garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
    Butternut Kürbis Rezept
  4. Add the cooked rice, spices, salt, pepper, dates and orange or lemon zest and toast for 1 minute.
    Butternut Kürbis Rezept
  5. Scoop out some of the soft pumpkin flesh, leaving about 1.5 cm around the edge. Add the scooped-out pumpkin flesh to the rice, along with the roasted pistachios, fresh herbs and feta. Mix everything together well.
    Butternut Kürbis Rezept
  6. Prepare the dressing: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and fold about ⅔ of it into the rice mixture.
    Butternut Kürbis Rezept
  7. Put the filling back into the pumpkin halves and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with fresh herbs and the remaining dressing.
    Butternut Kürbis Rezept

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 307mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 22IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.5mg

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Shiba from Shibas Kittchen

Hi, I’m Shiba

I’m glad you’re here. My dishes are very much inspired by the cooking skills of my mother, who comes from Pakistan. I also present Palestinian dishes that I learned about from my husband’s family. So you’ll find lots of dishes from 1001 nights here!

I hope you enjoy browsing and cooking.

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