Butternut Squash with Spiced Red Wine Jus and Roast Spiced Nuts — a plant-based Italian recipe by BOSH!
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Butternut Squash with Spiced Red Wine Jus and Roast Spiced Nuts

This one is a proper showstopper and we make it every time we need to impress someone without spending the whole evening in the kitchen panicking. The butternut squash is tender and sweet, and that spiced red wine jus is genuinely one of the best things we've ever made, rich and deep with just the right amount of warmth. Then you've got the roast spiced nuts on top adding this incredible crunch that ties the whole thing together. It looks like something you'd order in a fancy Italian restaurant, but it's completely plant-based and honestly not as scary as it sounds. If you're looking for a dinner to remember, this is it.

Cook: 85 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Roasting tin greased with light olive oil
  • Saucepan
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Small bowl for spice marinade

Ingredients

  • Tesco Finest half stuffed butternut squash
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots
  • 400ml red wine
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 100g cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 50g blanched almonds
  • 50g pistachios
  • 50g pecans
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1

Cooking the butternut squash

  • Cook the butternut squash as directed on the packet
  • Peel and finely dice the shallots
  • Grate the garlic
2

Making the jus

  • Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over a low / medium heat
  • Add the shallot and garlic to the pan with a pinch of salt, stir them around in the oil and allow to sweat for 5 minutes
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and increase the heat
  • Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened and reduced by half
  • Pour through a strainer and clean the saucepan
  • Return the strained jus to the saucepan and reheat before serving
3

Now make the Roast Spice Nuts

  • Grease a roasting tin with light olive oil
  • Sprinkle over the almonds, pistachios and pecans, put the tray in the oven and bake for 8 minutes
  • Take the nuts out of the oven, put to one side and turn off the oven
  • Sprinkle the salt, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper and olive oil into a bowl and stir it together to make a marinade
  • Pour the nuts into the bowl and toss them in the marinade so they’re covered
  • Spread the nuts out on the tray, put the tray in the oven (which is still off) for 5 minutes
4

Time to serve

  • Take the butternut squash out of the oven, cut it into even slices, plate the slices up neatly, drizzle over the jus, garnish with the nuts and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Get ahead on the jus: We find the red wine jus actually tastes even better if you make it the day before and gently reheat it. The flavours deepen overnight and you've got one less thing to stress about on the night.
  • Switch up the nuts: Henry always experiments with this one. Walnuts work brilliantly here, but pecans or cashews are equally good if that's what you've got in the cupboard.
  • Check your squash early: Butternut squash varies a lot in size so start checking it a bit before the packet suggests. You want it tender all the way through but not falling apart, it still needs to hold its shape on the plate.

Why This Works

The trick is giving the jus enough time to reduce properly, don't rush it. That slow reduction is what builds the depth and glossy richness that makes the whole dish feel restaurant-level. And toasting those spiced nuts separately means they stay crunchy on top rather than going soft, which is the textural contrast that makes every bite genuinely exciting.