This recipe has it all: sweet and nutty roasted squash, a savory tahini cream, and the addictive crunch of a seed and nut brittle. A restaurant-quality dish that comes together easily!
Ingredients
1 kabocha squash, seeded and wedged into 1⁄2 inch slices
Olive oil
salt
Tahini sauce:
1⁄4 cup tahini
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1-2 garlic cloves finely minced
1-2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Pepita-walnut brittle:
1⁄2 cup of pepitas
3⁄4 cups chopped walnuts
1⁄4 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds, or mixed
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 cup maple syrup
Instructions:
Turn the oven to 325o F. Combine everything for the pepita-walnut sesame crumble in a bowl. Spread out thinly over a small sheet tray in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, turn pan and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Let cool completely. Break into shards and pulse in a food processor or blender until a little sandy, with seeds broken up, but still chunky.
Turn the oven up to 425o F. Toss squash wedges in olive oil and salt and roast for 30 minutes, or until deeply caramelly and bronzed. If your oven gets steamy like mine, open it a few times during roasting to let the moisture out.
Meanwhile, combine everything for the tahini sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you get a nice consistency, akin to the thickness of melty frozen yogurt. After the sauce sits for a while it thickens up more, so you may need to add a splash more water before plating.
Once squash is done, smear tahini sauce over the plate. Pile on squash wedges and sprinkle with pepita-walnut crumble.
About the Chef
Signe Quitslund is Kinfood’s in-house chef. She is known for her contribution to some of Seattle’s top kitchens, her gorgeous gluten-free sourdough and her plant- based recipes.