Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Adapted by Julia Moskin
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- 5(1,525)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Here is an easy, healthy addition to a Thanksgiving feast or weekday dinner from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, which was included in a Julia Moskin video feature in 2013. Chop up a few red onions and a butternut squash, roast them in high heat, and drizzle them with tahini sauce, herbs and pistachios. That’s it. (Keep an eye on the onions, though. They may cook faster than the squash.) —Julia Moskin
Featured in: Essential Thanksgiving
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Ingredients
Yield:10 to 12 servings
- About ½ cup olive oil, plus extra for pans
- 4large red onions
- Coarse salt and black pepper
- 4pounds butternut squash cut into ½-inch wedges, peeled or unpeeled
- ⅓cup pine nuts or shelled green pistachio nuts (optional)
- 2tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, mint, cilantro or a combination, for garnish
- ¼cup tahini paste
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
- 1small clove garlic, crushed
For Tahini Sauce (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
225 calories; 14 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 517 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.
Step
2
Peel onions, leaving root ends intact. Cut each onion in half from stem to root. Cut each half into 4 wedges, leaving the root intact so that each wedge holds together. Spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
Step
3
Put the squash in a large mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and about ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet, peel side down (if intact).
Step
4
Place both pans in oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions, as they may cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier.
Step
5
If using nuts, pour 1 tablespoon oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add nuts and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown and smell toasty. Immediately remove from the heat and dump onto a cutting board to stop the cooking. If using pistachios, chop coarsely when cool enough to handle.
Step
6
To make tahini sauce, place tahini in a bowl. Add lemon juice, ¼ cup water, garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt. Whisk until sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or a tablespoon of olive oil if necessary.
Step
7
When the vegetables are cooked, set aside until ready to serve. (The vegetables should be served the same day they are made. They can be served at warm room temperature, or reheated just before serving.)
Step
8
To serve, combine vegetables on a large serving platter. If using tahini sauce, drizzle on top. Sprinkle herbs and, if using, nuts on top and serve.
Ratings
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1,525
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Cooking Notes
Barbaraben
To easily peel butternut squash: cut off the stem and place in a microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. The squash is much easier to peel using a potato peeler.
Jmk
You can sub sweet potato for squash. You can sub any other combination of vegetables too.
mnm
So yum! Great recipe that I will definitely be making again soon.
I made the tahini fresh (1/2 cup sesame seeds toasted till light brown on a pan, let cool then blend with about 5 tablespoons olive oil- till it becomes thick like honey)
Julia
The original version of this recipe also has the herb mixture za'atar on top. It makes a big impact on the flavor.
Marcela
Yes, squash skin is edible, so it is up to you. I do leave the skin on; it even helps the roasting process and keeps the nutritional values in. As long as it is baked thoroughly and soft, I personally love eating every bit of it!
Doren
I find it even better with the skin on. Then again, I also love to eat the skin of a well baked potato. This recipe is fabulous, with or without the tahini sauce, with or without the nuts, definitely improved by a sprinkle of fresh herbs - preferably cilantro, but mint, parlsey will do in a pinch.
Bex
I've made this many times, and it's always a hit. Sometimes I use parsnips and carrots instead of the squash.
Leek
I also added the za’atar called for in the original recipe and used toasted pine nuts. This was really tasty and a hit at our Thanksgiving gathering. I cheated by adding the onions after about 10 min cooking time and lowered the heat to 400F. 12/10 will cook again.
Yvette
Can add zatar sprinkled on top after cooking. Can use sweet potato or squash. To make peeling butternut easier, cut off the top and microwave squash for 3 or 4 minutes.
Marjorie
No. Definitely skin butternut squash. You can use a good peeler or a knife. It's not difficult. If you want an edible-skin alternate, use delicate squash. It's delicious. I prepare it with caramelized onions often. I sprinkle a little cinnamon on it.
Mozely
Absolutely delicious. I kept the squash's skin on and it turned out very crispy, albeit somewhat laborious to chew. Instead of tahini sauce, I used plain greek yogurt (because I didn't have tahini sauce) and it was VERY good. The bitter of the yogurt balanced very well with the sweetness of the squash and cooked onion. For garnish, I used cilantro, parsley, and chopped pistachios. Overall, it was absolutely delicious. I will definitely make this again.
Beth Lo
I added pomegranate seeds on top instead of nuts and it was delicious!
Irina
This is a crazy easy and awesome recipe to make for a quick dinner! I made exactly as it directed and it was AWESOME. The pistachios and tahini really balance out the dish. I'll be making this for Thanksgiving for sure.
dimmerswitch
Subbed Sugar Pie pumpkin (peeled) for squash and pepitas for pine nuts. Otherwise per recipe. Definitely a keeper. Used this as main dish although it could be a side. NOTES: 1) Tahini sauce is great with this. Don't leave it out. 2) Same for mint, cilantro, parsley mixed herbs. 3) ) I'd cut salt by half next time. Salt was over the top for our palates. 4) Pumpkin was done in about 30 min., 35 for onions. 4) Next time I'd reduce heat to 425 degrees.
omsafeeya
Made with Delicata Squash so no peeling. Added Za'atar at the end. Excellent side for Thanksgiving or other meals with roast meet
Chris
I don't bother with the sauce or parlsey or pine nuts. We love this dish.
Katie
Simple, delicious, easy. Can def use other veg, e.g. sweet potato, carrots
Mindy
Really great on top of salad greens with something spicy like black beans.
Ann
Definitely peel the squash. I took the recipe from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem cookbook. There said do not feel it. To me it was a mistake. I was having to spit out the peels
Lea
Delicata squash works great. And no skin peeling.
bonnie
Delicious. Served with tahziki, pine nuts, cilantro and zahtar. Would be good with tahini. Maybe with some grain bowl.
Name SMM
Made this as a side for Christmas Dinner. Huge hit. Loved that it could be made ahead and served at room temperature thus freeing up oven/stove space. Didn’t make any changes to the recipe.
Claire L.
An easy sheet-pan go-to. I do 1 butternut squash + 1 red onion + handful of thyme still on the stem on a single sheet pan at 400 for 30 minutes, then I rack it up to 425 for the final 5-10 minutes. I cut the butternut squash smaller than the example so it can cook at the same rate as the onions. (Squash=2 inch flat cubes; onion=size of video example) No tahini on hand, so I pulsed a can of chickpeas with 1 cans worth of added water and juice of a whole lemon. Top it all with fresh mint. Delish!
Terri L
Amazing! I used organic butternut and did not peel pine nuts and garnished (heavily) with fresh pomegranate arils. Just as good at room temp, making it an impressive dish to take to a potluck. Next time I'll double the tahini sauce and use the extra for dressing oven roasted broccoli and/or green salad.
c & p
Cook veg 200CUsed shallots, didn’t have red onion. They cooked fast 15mins - 20Butternut went back in oven 10-15 minsHave tahini paste at room room temperature and use blender
CBR
I made this with acorn squash but otherwise stayed true to the recipe. Perfect as written. Really complex flavors with the onion and the sweetness of the squash and the lemony tahini etc etc. fantastic dish to serve to guests. You can make the squash and onions in advance then heat them up slightly to serve. Drizzle sauce on at the last minute. Yum
MH
I've cooked this 3 times. My final plate displayed onions, purple (sweet) potatoes, butternut squash, buttercup, and parsnips. The drizzle and mixed garnish are gorgeous over this gradation of color. Next time I will leave out the butternut squash (not enough texture and bland).After roasting, I let everything cool separately on racks to retain texture knowing I'd reheat a few hours later. It is great warm/room temp, a nice option for the crowded holiday oven.
Kathy L
Won the Best of Meal at this year's Thanksgiving. People cleaned the plate! Used Delicata squash. 10 minutes at 475 and then reduced to 425. Made the tahini as recommended in the tips. Delicious!
Chana
This was so delicious, and I got so many compliments!!!
Amy
This is really delicious. To make it a full meal, I add blocks of feta cheese in the last 20 minutes of baking and serve it over quinoa.
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