Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Onion, Tahini and Za’atar

This roasted butternut squash recipe makes an excellent Thanksgiving side dish, but it’s simple enough to make for weeknight dinners, too. It’s gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and packed with Middle Eastern flavors.

Do you have vegan guests coming to your house for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Are you feeling intimidated? Are you afraid all that you can offer them will be some lettuce and a piece of fruit?

During the holiday season, finding really flavorful vegan recipes can be intimidating if you’re not used to cooking them all the time. Fear not, this dish will save you. It also works for people who are gluten-free or vegetarian.

I’m always looking for interesting Thanksgiving side dishes. Roasted butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, and brussels sprouts are already weeknight staples in our house during fall and winter. So then all that’s left for holiday meal planning are the gooey, cheesy dishes that taste great, but are sometimes a little too rich, or don’t jive with everyone’s dietary restrictions. Regardless of their respective diets, all of your guests will love how good this tastes, and won’t notice what’s ‘missing.’

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re saying, “Debra, I am not gonna buy a giant, expensive jar of tahini for a recipe that only calls for three tablespoons.” And you’re right. I wouldn’t ask you to do that. Trader Joe’s carries a small jar of organic tahini that is not expensive. And once you make this sauce, you’ll want to put it on everything. All. The. Time.

Same goes for the za’atar spice. Put it on any kind of roasted veggies, or add it to salad dressings or marinades. It’s made with dried thyme, oregano, sesame seeds and other spices but the secret kick is the sumac. You can find it at international markets or Middle Eastern food stores.

This is an easy vegetarian recipe for beginners because you’re just chopping everything and roasting it till it’s kinda burnt – in a very good way! You don’t even have to peel the butternut squash. A huge timesaver! That’s why I also love this recipe for weeknight dinners.

So don’t be intimidated! Be confident and wow them all by taking traditional flavors and combining them with unexpected Middle Eastern spices to turn Thanksgiving dinner on its head. No more same old same old!

Looking for more Thanksgivng recipes? Try Aunt Vickie’s Pecan Cream Cheese Pie or Brussels Sprouts Salad with Mache and Tarragon Vinaigrette. 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Onion, Tahini and Za’atar

Adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

1 large butternut squash

2 red onions

3 1/2 tbsp tahini paste

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp water

1 small clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp za’atar

kosher salt

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Chop the butternut squash into chunks about 1 inch think. Leave the peel intact.

Chop the red onion into wedges about 1/4 inch thick.

Divide squash and onions between two sheet pans. Drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt and toss to coat. Spread out evenly on pan. Make sure the squash is skin side down.

Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes. You want the skins and the edges of the butternut squash to be nice and brown, almost blackened. Some of the very edges will get crisp and dark. Check on the onions during the roasting to be sure they aren’t getting overdone. Remove them if necessary.

While the vegetables are roasting, make the sauce. Add the tahini, lemon juice, water, crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt to a small bowl.

Whisk together until smooth. The mixture might look curdled at first, but keep going. It will come together and thicken up. If it’s too thick, add a bit more water. It should be the consistency of honey, not hummus.

Remove squash and onions from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Just before serving, drizzle with tahini sauce and sprinkle za’atar over the top.