Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini Sauce

Roasted Delicata Squash, Purple Onions & Tahini Sauce

Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini SauceRoasted Delicata Squash & Friends—Made for Holiday Meals

A family favorite for at least a month now. Ever since I saw it among the New York Times’ Thanksgiving recipes. It was love at first sight. The two beautiful delicata squash on my kitchen counter took to this new recipe famously with their tender skin and sweet flesh.Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini Sauce They became the stars along with the wonderfully sweet-when-roasted purple onions. So much more than a side dish. We now enjoy Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini Sauce as an entrée alongside a tossed salad.

Great for entertaining
Consider including Roasted Delicata Squash & Friends for at least one upcoming holiday meal. It’s easy to make. Its few and unique combination of ingredients produce bold flavors and big colors. And a platter of Roasted Delicata Squash creates a bright splash of color on a buffet. More good news–it’s as delicious hot as at room temperature. No last-minute assembly required. For a buffet or family style dinner, prepare a double recipe of the rich and creamy sauce. The Tahini Sauce provides a luscious contrast in texture and taste to the roasted squash and onions. Everyone will want extra.

Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini SauceDelicata squash – the easiest of winter squash

One of the most deliciously sweet winter squash. Deeply golden and scalloped and oh so easily cut into wedges or beautiful rounds. Unlike every other winter squash, delicata squash actually have tender flesh and very tender skin. So tender, you won’t need to peel it. Plus the seeds are easily removed with a spoon. One more advantage—delicata squash are quick cooking. And so tasty when roasted in a hot oven.

Other Delicata squash recipes to enjoy

Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini Sauce

Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini Sauce

Minimally adapted from a recipe by Julia Moskin in the New York Times which itself was adapted from a recipe in Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.
This recipe works well with either delicata or butternut squash. The cooking time for butternut squash may be closer to 40 minutes. A perfect dish for entertaining as you can assemble it in advance. As delicious served hot or at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings, or more as a side dish          Printer-Friendly Recipe.
Active time   30 minutes
Total time   1 hour

Ingredients

Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini SauceOlive oil cooking spray
1¾-2 pounds delicata squash
2 medium purple (red) onions
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seeds
1-2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro, parsley and/or mint

Tahini Sauce
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons water

Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat two baking sheets with olive oil spray.
  2. Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini SauceCut the unpeeled delicata squash in half and remove the seeds. Depending upon the length of the squash, cut it into 3-4 inch-long sections. Cut each section into ½ – ¾ inch wide wedges. Place the wedges in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Transfer the wedges skin side down to one of the baking sheets.
  3. Roasted Delicata Squash & Purple Onions w/ Tahini SaucePeel the onions. Leaving the root end intact cut the onions in half pole to pole. Cut each half into four wedges. Transfer the wedges to the other baking sheet. Drizzle the onion wedges with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  4. If possible, place both baking sheets on the middle oven rack. Otherwise place the onions on a higher rack, the squash on a lower rack. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn over the onions and return them to the oven. Continue baking another 10-15 minutes till the vegetables are deeply colored and tender.
  5. Note: the onions will cook more quickly than the squash and usually need to be removed before the squash.
  6. Meanwhile prepare the Tahini Sauce. Place the tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic and salt in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the water until the sauce becomes pourable. Depending on the thickness of your tahini, you may need to add additional water or a little olive oil to bring the sauce to a pourable consistency.
  7. Spread the roasted delicata squash out on a large serving platter. Randomly top with the roasted onion wedges. Drizzle with about half of the Tahini Sauce. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and fresh herbs. Serve with the remaining Tahini Sauce on the side.

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2 thoughts on “Roasted Delicata Squash, Purple Onions & Tahini Sauce”

  1. Oh, my gosh. I just bought the cookbook “Jerusalem” which is terrific. Yes, the recipes are unusual, inspiring and dinner club-ready, but it is also a deep dive into the culture, traditions and history of the area.

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