Stuffed butternut squash

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 butternut squash
• 2 tsp pesto, red
• salt and pepper
• 20 g tomato(s), dried
• 100 g golden millet
• ½ shallot(s)
• 75 g diced ham
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• Salt
• 100 g crème fraîche
• 2 tsp pesto, red
• some cheese, grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

from the oven

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-assisted oven or 200°C top/bottom heat. Halve the pumpkin lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon or similar utensil (I always use a melon baller). Make diamond-shaped cuts in the upper part of each pumpkin half with a knife. Season the pumpkin halves with salt and pepper, and spread a teaspoon of pesto over each pumpkin flesh. Place the two halves in a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for 45–60 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkin. In the meantime, prepare the millet (by golden millet, I mean millet with the skin removed) according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in a little lukewarm water and then chop them. Briefly roast the sunflower seeds in a small pan without adding any oil or fat. Transfer to a small bowl and add a little salt. In the same pan, fry the ham with the finely chopped shallots. Add a little oil or fat if necessary, depending on the fat content of the ham. When the millet is ready, add the sun-dried tomatoes, diced ham and shallots, about half of the sunflower seeds, the crème fraîche, and a little more pesto. Mix everything well and set aside. When the pumpkin is cooked in the oven, it’s best to simply check after 45 minutes. Remove it from the oven, scoop out some of the flesh again with a spoon or melon baller, and fold it into the millet filling. Divide the flesh between the two pumpkin halves, sprinkle with a few more sunflower seeds for visual impact, and, if you like, sprinkle with some grated cheese. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.