Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion with Tahini Sauce

A little sweet and a little savory at the same time, butternut is easily my favorite winter squash. I love that it can prepared so simply and be so delicious on its own.

This recipe dresses the squash up a bit, and pairs it with a wonderful lemon-tahini sauce, toasted pine nuts, and caramelized red onions. The flavors in this dish compliment each of the others fantastically... not that you'd expect anything different from the incredible chefs behind Ottolenghi. (I've sung my praises of the London-based Ottolenghi in the past, here.) 

This squash is a great main dish for two, or a wonderful side dish for about four. Enjoy it for lunch, dinner, or in between. It is a simple one to prepare and I think you'll love it as much as I do!

Notes: If you don't have butternut squash around, sweet potatoes will substitute well. Also, za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that can be a little hard to come by, so if you can't find it I've included a substitute blend in the recipe below.

Adapted from Jerusalem by Yottam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi also seen here

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion with Tahini Sauce

roasted squash & red onion
1 large butternut squash (about 3 lb.), cut into 3/4 x 2 1/2-inch wedges
2 medium red onions, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper

tahini sauce
3 tablespoons tahini
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 small garlic clove, crushed

garnish
1/4 cup pine nuts
Sea salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon za'atar (To substitute: 1 teaspoon each of sumac & sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme, marjoram, & oregano, and a pinch of salt. Whiz in a spice grinder for a few seconds.)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
A few handfuls of arugula to serve over (optional)

roasted squash & red onion
Preheat oven to 475°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Put the squash in a medium bowl, add about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper. Toss well. Spread squash on one of the baking sheets.

In the now-empty bowl, toss the onion with a tablespoon of the oil, a generous pinch of salt, and a little black pepper. Spread the onions on the other baking sheet.

Place both baking sheets in the oven. Roast the onions for about 15-20 minutes, until they are tender and caramelized. Remove onion sheet from the oven and set aside. Allow the squash to continue roasting for an additional 10-15 minutes (for a total time of 25-35 minutes) until the
vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Remove squash sheet from the oven, add the squash to the sheet with the onions, then set it all aside to cool.

tahini sauce
While the vegetables are roasting, place the tahini in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, water, garlic, and salt. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or tahini if necessary. Set aside.

garnish
Toast the pine nuts in a small frying pan over medium-low heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir often, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts to a small bowl to stop cooking.

To serve, spread the vegetables out on a large serving platter over a bed of arugula (if using) and drizzle the tahini sauce over top. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top, followed by the za’atar (or substituted spice blend, if using) and parsley.

Yield: Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side

This post shared on The Nourishing Gourmet

Portobello Pasta with Rosemary & Toasted Pine Nuts

I'm in an adjective, poem-y kind of mood. I guess. (Not really, but it sounds kind of interesting.) So consider this an adjective poem dedicated to my faithful reader (hi, Mom!) who told me that she quite enjoyed her dinner last night:

Rosemary is really rad.
Lemons are likely luscious.
Parmesan is pretty pleasing.
Toasted pine nuts are.... totally toasty.... and pointedly perfect.
Garlic is gigantically great.
Olive oil is outrageously outstanding.
Portabello mushrooms are pleasantly pleasant and marvelously marvelous.
And pasta is superly stupendous.

(I ran out of P words.)

The point I'm trying to make here is that you should make this and eat it because it's good. Kind of really good, actually.

Notes: Feel free to use whole-wheat pasta if you have it on hand. I used orecchiette, which works wonderfully because it catches all of the goodness in its little bowls.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, Sept. & Oct. 2009

Broccoli Pesto Orzo with Lemon & Avocado

The rain is slowly drizzling outside the window as I sit here today. It's overcast and beautifully misty out there. The pitter patter of the rain drops hitting the roof is so peaceful. It's the kind of day that makes you just want to curl up in a big sweater, grab a wonderful book, and settle into a comfy chair. In fact, that's just what I did after making this delicious pasta dish for lunch. I'm currently reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I'm not too far into it yet, but so far it's been a page-turner - a little bit of World War II history, charming England, and a touch of romance all rolled into one book. I have high hopes for it.

As for this pasta. I had high hopes for it, too, upon seeing it in Heidi's new book. And, as usual, it fulfilled those high hopes. This dish is quick and easy to put together. The creme fraiche and lemon zest add a touch of brightness while a bit of diced avocado lends a bit of creaminess. This is the perfect kind of nutrition- and flavor-packed lunch I love. I hope you'll try it soon.

Also, pick up that book if you're ever on your way past the library. I think it's going to be a good one.

Notes: Heidi notes in her book that if you can't find orzo, substituting another tiny pasta, or even farro or wheat berries, would be great. I can imagine if you also don't have pine nuts on hand, walnuts would make a nice substitution.

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day

Broccoli Pesto Orzo with Avocado & Lemon

pasta & broccoli
2 cups whole-wheat orzo
Kosher salt
7 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets

pesto
(3 cups of the broccoli florets after being cooked)
2 cloves garlic
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup cream

to serve
Zest of one lemon
1 large avocado, diced
Remaining toasted pine nuts
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

pasta & broccoli
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water in a separate bowl. Set the pasta and cooking water aside.
In the meantime, cook the broccoli by placing the florets in a steam backet. Cook for 3-5 minutes, just enough to take off the raw edge. Set aside.

pesto
To make the pesto, combine 3 cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, most of the pine nuts, the Parmesan, the lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and blend until smooth. Adjust the consistency so that the pesto is not too thick by adding a few tablespoons at a time of the pasta cooking water. Taste and add additional salt and lemon juice as needed.

to serve
Just before serving, toss the orzo and remaining cooked broccoli florets with the broccoli pesto and the lemon zest. Gently fold in the avocado. Serve topped with pine nuts, Parmesan, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Yield: Serves 4 as a main dish, a few more as a side