Spiced winter squash stuffed peppers

Ingredients

900g/2lb squash
2 tbsp chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small carrot, finely chopped
3 rashers streaky bacon, cut into 1in dice
2 tbsp fresh thyme
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup cannellini beans
4 romero peppers (or any red pepper)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Cut squash in half and de-seed. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for one hour or until tender.
3. Meanwhile, grill peppers until blistered, put in a plastic bag for 10 minutes, then peel the skins away. Cut one side open and de-seed, keeping them intact for presentation.
4. Heat oil and sauté minced garlic, onion, carrot and bacon. After about 3 minutes add the thyme and wine and cook until the wine reduces to a syrup.
5. Remove squash from the oven and process the flesh with the stock.
6. Add the squash to the onion and garlic mixture and gently stir in the beans. Chill.
7. Stuff peppers with the squash mixture and put in a small roasting pan covered with tin foil. Bake for 30 minutes and serve piping hot.