Spiced Roasted Squash with Pomegranate Molasses and Pistachios
The magic of this stunning roasted squash recipe lies in its layers of flavour, from the generous quantities of fragrant whole spices to the pistachios, dates, tahini and pomegranate molasses. If you love Middle Eastern flavours, this is one for you.
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Introduction
When squash is in season, there are so many delicious things to do with it, but serving it with dates, tahini and tangy pomegranate molasses creates a perfect medley of textures and flavours that complement each other so well. Serve this with couscous, bulgur wheat, freekeh, rice or any other whole grain if you like. If you can’t find pomegranate molasses, you can use balsamic glaze instead.
Ingredients
| 1 large (about 1.5kg) | butternut squash |
| 2 × 400g tins of | chickpeas |
| 4 tbsp | cumin seeds |
| 2 tbsp | fennel seeds |
| 2 tbsp | yellow mustard seeds |
| 2 tsp | coriander seeds |
| 2 tsp | smoked paprika |
| 2 tbsp | sesame seeds |
| 1 tbsp | flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve |
| 4 tbsp | olive oil, plus extra to serve |
| 35g | pistachios |
| Handful of | flat-leaf parsley |
| 3–4 | medjool dates |
| 4 tbsp | tahini |
| 2 tbsp | pomegranate molasses |
| zest and juice of 1 lemon |
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan.
Halve the squash lengthways (no need to peel). Scoop out the seeds and then quarter each half lengthways, so you have eight long pieces. Cut each piece into 2–3cm chunks.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pat them dry with a clean tea towel, removing any skins that come loose.
Add the squash chunks and chickpeas to a large baking tray (use two trays if it looks overcrowded – they need space to cook or they will become mushy).
Lightly grind all the spices using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, keeping some intact. You could even leave them all intact if you like; this will give a chunky texture and pops of flavour. Add the spices to a bowl and mix in the sesame seeds, salt and olive oil.
Tip the spice mix into the tray(s) with the chickpeas and squash and mix very well, making sure everything is evenly coated. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then toss and bake for another 15–18 minutes until the chickpeas are slightly crispy and the squash is tender inside and starting to crisp at the edges.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the pistachios and parsley. Remove the stones from the dates and tear them into large pieces.
Once the squash is cooked, remove the tray from the oven and scatter over the pistachios and dates, then return to the oven for another 2–3 minutes.
Drizzle over the tahini and pomegranate molasses, along with some more olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Add the lemon zest and juice, and scatter over the parsley to finish. Serve.
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