Butternut Squash With Pecans and Blue Cheese

On Vi's Pantry there is a challenge running at the moment. Every two weeks someone has to pick a dish from Nigella Lawson's 'Express and then we all cook it and publish our pictures and opinions. It's an interesting challenge making us cook recipes we might not otherwise make. I am a rather plain and unadventurous cook so I don't think I would have made this had it not been for the challenge. I haven't used this particular book very much. It's a different style for Nigella and I have been uncertain about it. Squash would not normally be on my shopping list but it certainly will be again. This was delicious. I made it as a side dish to acompany lamb chops but it is really satisfying and could be eaten on it's own. I would never have thought to use pecan nuts but they were lovely with it. Unfortunately I forgot to add them for the photo. Ah well it wouldn't be me if I didn't forget something. The blue cheese gave it a wonderful richness. A very tasty dish. Highly recommended.

Ingredients
2kg/4lb 8oz butternut squash
3 tbsp olive oil
6 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
100g/3½oz pecans
125g/4oz Roquefort, or other blue cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
2. Halve the squash, leaving the skin on, and scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash into 2.5cm/1in cubes - you don't need to be precise, just keep the pieces uniformly small.
3. Place into a roasting tin and drizzle with the oil. Strip about four sprigs of thyme of their leaves (or use dried thyme) and sprinkle over the butternut squash.
4. Transfer to the oven and roast for about 30-45 minutes, or until tender.
5. Once out of the oven, remove the squash to a bowl. Scatter over the pecans and crumble over the cheese, stirring everything together gently. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. To serve, tear the remaining sprigs of thyme into small pieces and sprinkle over the top of the butternut squash mixture.

I actually made this in my new Tefal Actifry using the recommended 1 tablespoon of oil. It only took twenty minutes in it so I was well pleased