Roasted Butternut Squash Slices With Parsley Pesto

Ingredients

Roasted Squash

  • 1 medium/large butternut squash,

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (60 g)

Parsley Pesto

  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh, flat leaf parsley, stalks + stems

  • 1/2 cup walnuts

  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • 1/3 cup olive oil (80 ml)

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)

  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Pesto

  1. Add all of the pesto ingredients except for the olive oil to a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until the ingredients are all finely chopped and well combined. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  2. Pour the olive oil into the blender and continue blending until you've reached your desired pesto consistency. For a thinner pesto sauce add more olive oil or water 1 tablespoon at a time. Taste and season with black pepper and more salt as needed. Set aside.

Squash

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Grease a 2 quart roasting dish/pie plate and set aside

  2. Place your squash on its side on a large cutting board. Use a good, sharp knife to cut off both ends with the hard stems. Then cut the squash in half widthwise, then cut each half in half again lengthwise so that you end up with 4 pieces. Slice the squash quarters into thin slices (about 1/8 inch slices) then transfer to the prepared roasting pan.

  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Toss the squash slices in the roasting dish then arrange in a single layer with the flat sides down at an angle so they're laid out like fallen dominos.

  4. Tuck a few sprigs of fresh rosemary around the edges. Place in the middle of the oven and roast butternut squash slices for 30-35 minutes. Prepare the pesto while the squash roasts.

  5. Take the squash out of the oven and sprinkle with chopped walnuts and spread about half the pesto over the top.

  6. Return to the oven and roast for another 15-20 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. If you cut your squash into thicker pieces you'll need to leave it in the oven for longer. 

  7. Serve hot with the remaining pesto on the side and enjoy. 

From A Saucy Kitchen

Siena Beacham