Instructions:

Ingredients: large butternut squash, about 1.5kg 100g flat-leaf parsley 2 x 285g jars charred roasted peppers in oil keep oil 1 onion 200g button mushrooms, sliced 180g ready-cooked (vacuum-packed) whole chestnuts 2 garlic cloves, chopped ½ tsp paprika 8 thyme sprigs 200g spinach leaves ¼ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg Recipe Description: Preheat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C Halve the butternut squash vertically and scoop out the seeds Put both halves, cut sides down skin side up, in the roasting tin & roast for 50 mins, or until just tender. Leave to cool for 15 mins, then carefully turn the halves over and scoop out the insides along the length of each squash half, leaving an even, 3cm border of squash all around the edge Be careful not to pierce the skin. Reserve the scooped-out squash and season the hollowed-out halves with salt and pepper. chopped onion and cook until soft and just starting to colour Now add the mushrooms and cook for 5 mins until browned Roughly cut the chestnuts down a little they should be lightly crushed rather than completely broken down. Add the crushed chestnuts, 2 chopped garlic cloves, paprika and the leaves from 2 thyme sprigs to the pan Cook through for a minute then Stir in the scooped-out squash stirring to mix and to break it down evenly Season then stir in the finely chopped parsley and remove from the heat Cook the spinach then remove excess moisture then season with nutmeg Use the drained, chargrilled peppers to line the hollowed out squash halves in an even single layer Divide the mushroom and chestnut mixture between the halves, pressing it down evenly Evenly spoon the spinach over the filling in one half of the squash Put the two halves together to make a butternut squash shape and tie together several times along the length of the squash with kitchen string Return to the roasting tin then Bake for 20 mins then add the halved garlic heads to the tin with the remaining thyme sprigs, drizzling them with 1 tbsp oil from the pepper jars Bake for a further 30-40 mins, until the squash is completely tender and piping hot. To make the pesto, squeeze out the cloves from one halved garlic bulb and add to the small bowl of a food processor with the red chilli, pecans and the roughly chopped parsley Blitz together, pausing to scrape down the sides add the remaining oil reserves from the pepper jars in a steady stream When pesto is ready Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice the squash in ⅚ discarding the string, and serve with the pesto on the side