Roasted Winter Squash with Ginger Tomatoes and Lime Yogurt – A Standout Recipe for Holiday Entertaining
Complex and boldly flavored Asian and Middle Eastern ingredients make this the most delectable of roasted winter squash recipes. Each bite bursts with bright flavor and color. Roasted Winter Squash with Ginger Tomatoes and Lime Yogurt becomes indescribably delicious 
when made with a sweet winter squash, such as delicata, sweet dumpling, butternut or buttercup.
For easy entertaining prepare this dish in advance. Then serve it at room temperature. This alone makes it an excellent recipe for holiday parties from sit down dinners to buffets. Combined with incredible flavors and gorgeous presentation, this recipe’s a standout.
Forget shortcuts
I’ve adapted this recipe from Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully’s new cookbook Nopi. Even with its complex flavors, this is not a difficult dish to make. The first time I made it, though, I thought I could shorten the process and cut a few corners. Close but no banana.
Some of the changes helped adapt this recipe for the home kitchen. They include changing the order of instructions and reducing the oil and salt. I also subbed juicy campari type tomatoes, and switched to whole milk yogurt for its “better for drizzling” texture.
A word of advice: make this recipe when you have time to cook. Though as the total time includes a lot of oven time, you’ll be free to make other dishes, set the table, clean up, dress, check Facebook, etc.
Campari tomatoes in winter
Well flavored tomatoes in the winter? Yes, if they’re ripened campari type tomatoes. I purchase mine “on the vine” at Costco and then ripen them on the kitchen counter for at least a week. When spread with the “fresh ginger and friends” topping, these moist and sweet tomatoes become the perfect flavor and textural contrast to roasted winter squash.
Winter squash
Winter squash come in many sizes and shapes, but all have hard outer rinds 
that surround sweet, orange flesh. Arriving late in the growing season, all except delicata store well. Enjoy delicata now, and most other winter squash until early spring. All of my four favorite winter squash varieties work well in this recipe.
- Delicata (de-lee-CAH-tuh) squash: fairly small and very sweet, moist and creamy. The peel is soft enough to be eaten.
- Sweet dumpling squash: fairly small squash with sweeter and drier flesh than that of many other winter squash. The peel is soft enough to be eaten.
- Butternut squash: with an easy to peel rind, sweet taste, moist flesh and few seeds, this is one of the most popular winter squash.
- Buttercup squash: A bit drier and harder to peel than my other favorites. Though the flavor is often their equal in sweetness.
Roasted Winter Squash with Ginger Tomatoes and Lime Yogurt
Inspired by and lightly adapted from Ottolenghi & Ramael Scully’s Nopi.
Delicata and sweet dumpling squash are my first choice. They boast sweet flavor, moist texture and a thin, edible skin. Easy to peel and almost as sweet butternut squash makes an excellent alternative. For the best flavor and texture, do peel away butternut squash’s fibrous green-veined layer hidden just below its rind. Remove the green to uncover the bright orange, creamy and sweet-flavored flesh.
Active Time 45 minutes Printer-Friendly Recipe
Total Time, including baking, 2 hours 35 minutes
Ingredients
17-18 ounces ripe campari type tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
7/8 teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan salt, divided
2 pounds delicata squash or sweet dumpling, butternut or buttercup squash
Few twists of freshly ground pepper
4 ½ teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (1 ounce)
1 tablespoon minced Serrano or jalapeño chile
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon organic sugar
Lime yogurt
½ cup plain, whole milk yogurt
3/8 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Finely grated zest of ½ lime
1 ½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
Garnish
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons roasted pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
- Remove the core from the tomatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise. Place them skin-side down on the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt over the tomato halves. Bake for 80 minutes.
- Prepare the winter squash: For delicata and sweet dumpling squash trim off the ends of the squash. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Cut each half of the squash into 1-inch thick slices.
- For butternut and buttercup squash, trim the ends and peel the squash. Remove the seeds. Cut into approximately 1-inch wide by 2-inch long pieces.
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced squash with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a
few twists of freshly ground pepper. Transfer the squash flesh-side down to a rimmed, parchment paper lined baking pan. Set aside. - Prepare the ginger topping: Use a Microplane grater to finely grate the fresh ginger. Mix together the grated ginger, minced chile, crushed garlic, sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.
- Prepare the Lime yogurt: Mix together the yogurt, salt, cardamom, lime zest and juice in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
- After the tomatoes have baked, divide the ginger topping evenly among them. Return the tomatoes to the oven for another 40 minutes. Set aside.
Raise the oven temperature to 465 degrees. Bake the squash for 20 minutes. Turn the squash over. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until tender and well-colored.- To serve: Place the roasted squash on a platter. Top with a layer of ginger tomatoes. Spoon over the Lime Yogurt. Garnish with coarsely chopped cilantro and roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Serve Roasted Winter Squash with Ginger Tomatoes and Lime Yogurt warm or at room temperature.
