Roasted Squash with Yogurt, Walnuts, and Spiced Green Sauce

What You'll Need

Equipment
  • good kitchen knife and clean cutting surface
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • vegetable peeler
  • high speed blender
  • oven
  • large mixing bowl
  • cheesecloth
  • large spoon
  • zester or microplane
  • baking sheet
  • cast iron skillet
  • serving bowl
Ingredients
  • about 2 pounds winter squash (one kind or a mix)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons slightly sweet wine vinegar
  • Spiced Green Sauce (recipe to follow)
  • 1/4 cup lightly roasted walnuts, roughly chopped
Yogurt Sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • kosher salt and coarse ground pepper
Spiced Green Sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed
  • seeds from 4 cardamom pods
  • 1/2 cup seeded, deribbed roughly chopped hot green chile, such a Serrano or Jalapeño
  • 1-3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 2 cups lightly packed cilantro leaves
  • 2 cups lightly packed flat leaf parsley leaves
  • pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
This dish, from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, is all good things. It is easy, relatively quick to make, beautiful on the plate, and delicious. It is equally at home as a weeknight sheet-pan meal and a fancy dinner party. The Spiced Green Sauce and the yogurt sauce are both variations on classic sauces that have been created across many cultures; the green sauce is closely related both to South American chimichurri and to Middle Eastern skhug, though this particular iteration came from Ava Gene’s.

Lots of olive oil in the roasting makes a lovely brown crust on the bottom of the squash. Using multiple kinds of squash makes for a more interesting presentation, of different shapes and subtle flavors on the plate.
ingredients

Directions

Line a sieve with some dampened cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Put the yogurt in the cheesecloth and let it sit for at least 1 hour, so the whey drains out and the yogurt gets thick and creamy.strain yogurt If you prefer, you can use store-bought Greek yogurt instead of straining your own, though the texture will be somewhat different.
mix yougurtMix the drained yogurt with the garlic, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp salt, and set aside.
incorporate ingredients

Heat the oven to 400° F. Trim off the top and bottom of the squash, then peel off the outer skin with a paring knife or sturdy vegetable peeler. (A tender skinned squash like Delicata may not need peeling, but a Butternut certainly will.)
peel squashCut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and fibers. scoop out seedsSlice the squash halves into 1/2 inch slices.
slice into 1" slicesToss the squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. toss with salt and pepperSpread out on a rimmed baking sheet, one layer deep, and roast until tender and nicely browned on the underside, 20-40 minutes depending on the squash.spread on baking sheet
In the meantime, make the green sauce. Toast the coriander, cumin, and cardamom seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently until they become fragrant, about 4 minutes. toast spicesPut the chiles and garlic in a blender or food processor, and pulse a few times until they are fairly fine. Add the cilantro, parsley, toasted seeds, ground cloves, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few twists of black pepper. pulse herbs in blenderPulse until all is finely chopped into a rough pureé. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. drizzle in olive oilStop the blender before the sauce is completely smooth-you want a bit of texture. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as desired with more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or spices. Remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool for a few moments.
remove squash from oven
Sprinkle the squash slices with vinegar, and arrange on a platter or in a bowl. drizzle sauceDrizzle or spoon the yogurt and green sauce over the squash, then scatter the toasted walnuts over the top. spoon over green sauceYou will likely have extra green sauce, but it’s a great thing to keep in the fridge, to spoon over every.darn.thing.

Over to You

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