Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Halve the butternut squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Brush cut sides generously with olive oil, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper, then place face-down on the prepared pan.
- Roast for 40 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife — the flesh should yield easily without resistance. Remove from oven and let cool slightly while making the stuffing.
- Meanwhile, bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and stir once, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 more minutes.
- While the rice rests, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Fluff the cooked rice with a fork, then fold in the shallot mixture, pecans, maple syrup, thyme leaves, lemon zest, and remaining salt until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning — you want it bright enough to cut through the sweetness of the squash.
- Using a spoon or small knife, gently scoop out some flesh from each squash half (you'll have about 2-3 cups of scooped-out meat; reserve if desired for another use like soup). Divide stuffing evenly among the squash shells and return face-up to the baking sheet.
- Roast uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until filling is heated through and edges of squash are slightly caramelized. Serve warm, with extra pecans or thyme on top if desired.
Nutrition
Notes
The thing about roasting butternut squash is that you have to actually get the oven hot enough — 425 degrees, not shy. The edges caramelize beautifully if you give them room on the pan, which means one large squash or two small ones per person and don't crowd the sheet pan.
I usually stuff mine with a quick rice pilaf that gets stirred with toasted pecans and a splash of maple syrup while the squash roasts. It saves a step since you can prep both at once, and it's the kind of dish where leftovers taste better on the second day because everything has had time to meld.