ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH and RED ONION with TAHINI | Ottolenghi [recipe]

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion with Tahini {recipe}

Recipe almost entirely lifted directly out of the Jerusalem cookbook, except where noted (notably and pretty much only the omission on my part of pine nuts and za-zatar.)

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash cut into ¾ by 2½-inch wedges (about 2 pounds)
2 red onions, cut into 1¼-inch wedges
3½ tablespoons olive oil
3½ tablespoons light tahini
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 small clove garlic, crushed
3½ tablespoons pine nuts (I substituted chopped roasted pistachios.)
1 tablespoon za’atar (I left this out completely)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Put the squash and onion in a large mixing bowl, add 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper and toss well. Spread on a baking sheet with the skin facing down and roast in the oven 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 might cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.To make the sauce, place the tahini in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, water, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or tahini if necessary.

Pour the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts along with ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts and oil to a small bowl to stop the cooking.

To serve, spread the vegetables out on a large serving platter and drizzle over the tahini. Sprinkle the pine nuts and their oil on top, followed by the za’atar and parsley.