It’s adorable! Roasted winter squash with tahini

I recently fell in love with honey squash, a new variety of hearty winter squash bred specifically to be concentrated in flavor and adorable in appearance. OK, maybe it wasn’t specifically grown to be adorable, but the result nevertheless is the same.

I found honey squash at several New York area markets, but even if you cannot find this super sweet squash, you can substitute regular old (delicious) butternut squash, acorn squash or delicata squash.

Drizzling tahini over roasted vegetables just adds a richness to the dish and makes it feel a little extra special, especially for a Friday-night dinner or Thanksgiving celebration. You might also add some pomegranate molasses for sweetness and tang, or some pomegranate seeds or chopped fresh herbs for color and brightness, or nothing at all.

Note: You will want to go easy on the olive oil, so that the squash develops a nice caramelized texture and isn’t too oily.

Ingredients:

2 honey squash (or 1 medium butternut squash)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons good quality tahini, at room temperature

Pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds, chopped fresh herbs (optional)

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Peel the honey squash, cut off the ends and cut into 1/2-inch thick rings.

3. Spread squash out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil, and using your hands, make sure squash is evenly coated.

4. Cook on first side for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn over the rings and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, until just caramelized.

5. Drizzle with tahini. Top with additional pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds or fresh herbs if desired. Serves 6.

Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher.