This roasted butternut squash and red onions recipe is packed with flavor and is a perfect weeknight sheet pan main dish or simplified for a side dish. This hearty dish is both vegan and gluten-free.
The roasted chickpeas, lemony tahini sauce, and roasted chickpeas can all be made ahead.
Jump to Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
Jump to:
- ๐ How to select the best butternut squash
- โค๏ธ Why you'll love this roasted butternut squash and red onions recipe
- ๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
- ๐ช Recommended Equipment
- ๐ Instructions Overview
- ๐ฏ Why This Recipe Works
- โฐ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- ๐ฉโ๐ณ Tips for Success
- ๐กIdeas for Possible Variations
- ๐ง Can I make this dish ahead?
- ๐ฅฉ For the Omnivores at the Table
- ๐ฝ Side Dish Ideas
- ๐คฉ More Protein-Packed Vegan Dishes
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onions with Tahini
The inspiration for this dish came from a Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi recipe in their Jerusalem cookbook. I have a few of the Ottolenghi cookbooks and love them all.
I was looking for a roasted butternut squash recipe that would be easy and different from the roasted vegetables I throw together with olive oil and seasonings. As soon as I saw the photograph of the dish in their cookbook, I knew I had to make it. Sometimes you just can't say no to a food photograph.
I made the recipe a few times, slightly changing it from the original recipe each time without losing the soul of the original dish. And now, it's ready to share with you. I hope this becomes the favorite in your house like it is here at ours.
🛒 How to select the best butternut squash
The star of this dish is the roasted butternut squash which is a versatile vegetable. It purees beautifully to create filling butternut squash soups. Or peel slice its neck into thick pieces, and voila!, you have butternut squash steaks.
Here are some things to look for when choosing butternut squash at your local market.
- Choose butternut squash with a uniform orangey-tan color. Avoid any with green streaks or spots as this indicates the squash is unripe.
- The stem should be hard and dry. There shouldn't be any green areas of its brown stem.
- When comparing equally sized squash, choose the one that feels heavier in your hands. Unless you purchasing your butternut squash at a local farmer's market, it's impossible to know how old the squash is. Older ones can be dried out in their centers, making the squash feel lighter.
- Keep in mind that butternut squash, although available in many areas year round, is in season from the late summer through early winter. It's peak season is generally from September to November, although the exact time of year depends on weather and where you're located.
❤️ Why you'll love this roasted butternut squash and red onions recipe
- Flexible. It's flexible for adding or removing ingredients to your own preferences.
- Easy. It's easy to make with minimal prepping.
- Make-ahead friendly. Make the elements of the dish ahead and re-warm and assemble just before serving.
- Healthy dinner. Butternut squash is a very healthy vegetable that is best eaten from fall through the winter months for the peak nutrition it can deliver.
- Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free. This recipe fits into many special diets.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to many dishes often lies in the ingredients. For example, some ingredients make a huge difference to the flavor and/or texture of the finished recipe. And purchasing the right ingredients can save you valuable time in the kitchen.
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Butternut squash - For wedges, I like using the bulbous end of a large butternut squash. If you prefer to use a different kind of squash you can use wedges of acorn squash instead. If you don't care about making wedges, a smaller butternut squash is fine.
- Red onion - The sweetness of the red onions is perfect in this recipe. They start to caramelize in the oven, added great flavor. I recommend using a large red onion for cutting the wedges.
- Sesame seed tahini - I'm a fan of Joyva Sesame Tahini for making the tahini sauce but I know cooks who prefer Soom Foods Pure Ground Sesame Tahini. Feel free to use your own favorite.
- Dates - Medjool dates are the most common where I live and are perfect in this recipe. Purchase pitted dates for easier prep work.
- Roasted chickpeas - Use either canned chickpeas or cook them ahead from dried. You can either make roasted chickpeas with them in the oven or on the stovetop.
- Za'atar - This is a spice blend that is popular in Middle Eastern cooking. Like many spice mixes, there are many variations but most of them include oregano, marjoram, sesame seeds, thyme, and cumin. I use one I purchased in one of the open markets in Tel Aviv but it's available in most grocery stores.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this roasted butternut squash and red onion recipe are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Make the chickpeas. If you plan to cook your chickpeas from dried, I recommend doing this in advance. You can cook them a number of ways and keep them in an airtight containter in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Another great make-ahead option is to roast the chickpeas in advance. I almost always have a jar of them in the refrigerator for adding to salads, pasta, or roasted vegetable dishes like this.
Step 2
Prep the veggies and roast. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the butternut squash and slice into thin wedges. I use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin of the squash, but a sharp chef's knife is ok to use. Toss in a large mixing bowl with a little olive oil and arrange on one side of the prepared baking sheet.
Remove the outer skin of the red onion and cut into wedges. Gently toss with a little olive oil in the same mixing bowl and arrange on the other side of the sheet pan.
Roast until the red onion wedges begin to caramelize on their edges and the butternut squash is tender and its surfaces turn a light golden brown.
Step 3
Tahini sauce. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce, adding enough cold water to create a sauce with the consistency of honey. You can make the sauce up to one week ahead and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Step 4
Chickpeas. Toss the cooked chickpeas in a little olive oil and za'atar and sauté in a medium or small skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted.
Step 5
Assemble. Combine the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, roasted chickpeas, sliced dates, and tahini sauce. Sprinkle with za'atar and a flurry of chopped parsley. Serve either warm or at room temperature.
🎯 Why This Recipe Works
- Roasting both the squash and red onion wedges deepens their flavors.
- Red onion is a perfect match with butternut squash as it offers a contrasting sweet flavor when slightly caramelized.
- Dates add a touch of sweetness that marries well with the red onions and butternut.
- Chickpeas turn this side dish into a main entree with protein.
- Earthy tahini paste is turned into a slightly tart and sweet sauce that pulls the entire dish together.
- Za'atar adds just the right amount of accent flavor.
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Purchase pre-cut butternut squash. Many grocery stores provide butternut squash pre-cut into cubes in the refrigerator cases in the produce department.
- Make the tahini dressing ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Use canned chickpeas or cook them from dried ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Either roast the chickpeas ahead of time using this recipe or on a separate sheet pan in the oven with the roasting butternut squash and red onions.
- Roast the butternut squash and make the tahini dressing ahead of time. Rewarm the vegetables in a 350˚F oven and assemble everything before serving.
👩🍳 Tips for Success
- If your butternut squash is too tough to slice off the stem, microwave it on high for Slice the butternut squash into thin wedges no more than 1 inch thick at the thickest part of the wedge. This allows them to roast at the same rate as the red onions. Otherwise, remove the red onions, set aside, and continue roasting the butternut squash.
- Separate the red onion and butternut squash on the sheet pan in case you need to remove the red onions before the squash is done.
- If the tahini sauce separates, don't worry. Just keep drizzling more cold water into the sauce while whisking it. The sauce will magically come together into a silky sauce.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Use acorn squash instead of butternut squash.
- Eliminate the chickpeas for a satisfying side dish.
- Use pan-toasted pine nuts in place of the pan-roated chickpeas.
🧊 Can I make this dish ahead?
Different parts of the dish can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator in airtight containers. They are covered in the above Tips to Simplify and Save Time section.
🥩 For the Omnivores at the Table
For the omnivores at the table, serve with pork chops. Pairing this with either lamb or flavorful chicken dish also works well.
🍽 Side Dish Ideas
If you add the chickpeas to this dish for a vegetarian main dish, you don't need much more than a simple green salad. If you want something more, consider seasonal vegetables such as pan roasted Brussels sprouts or maple carrots.
🤩 More Protein-Packed Vegan Dishes
Protein is an important building block for our overall health. Here are more of my favorite vegan dishes with great protein: Jamaican Rice and Beans, Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri Lentils and Tahini, and Mujadara.
Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onions with Tahini
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Large mixing bowl
- small bowl
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetable Dish
- 14.5 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 1 ½ cups cooked from dried chickpeas
- ยฝ large butternut squash
- 1 large red onion
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt or ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- ยผ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 pitted dates quartered lengthwise
- 4 teaspoons za'atar
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Tahini Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tahini paste
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ยฝ teaspoon crushed garlic
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Chickpeas. If plan to cook the chickpeas from dried, do this first using one of these methods. When cooked, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.Note: If you cook them in advance, you can also roast the chickpeas with za'atar before putting them in the refrigerator.
- Oven. Preheat the oven to 450˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Butternut squash. Slice the butternut squash in half to separate its neck from its bulbous bottom. A sharp chef's knife is best for this. If the skin is too tough to cut, place it in the microwave on high for 1 minute. This should soften the skin enough to slice through.Store the neck portion in the refrigerator wrapped in pastic for another use, such butternut squash steaks. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin of the bulbous bottom.Slice in half, remove the seeds and pulp using a spoon, and discard. Slice the butternut squash halves into thin wedges about 1" to 1 ½" thick at their thickest part. Place in a large mixing bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and arrange on one side of the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly salt and pepper.Note: Feel free to slice thicker wedges of butternut squash. But they will take longer to roast and the onions will need to be removed from the sheet pan before the squash is done.
- Red onion. Slice the red onion from end to end and remove any wilted or damaged outter layers. Slice each half in half again around the middle. Slice the onion into 1 ½" wedges. Transfer to the large mixing bowl and gentle toss one tablespoon of the olive oil. Try to keep them wedges together as much as you can. Arrange them on the other side of the prepared baking sheet from the butternut squash. Lightly salt and pepper.
- Roast. Roast the veggies for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and golden brown, and the onions are slightly caramelized on their tips.
- Chickpeas. While the veggies roast, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Place the chickpeas in the mixing bowl and toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of za'atar. Transfer them to the warm skillet to toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to lower the heat to medium-low once the chickpeas heat up and begin to toast.Set aside.
- Tahini sauce. Whisk together all of the ingredients except the cold water until smooth. Whisk in the water, one tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency of honey. Note: If the sauce separates, just drizzle water into the sauce and whisk. Keep doing this until the sauce comes back together.
- Assemble. Combine the roasted vegetables with the pan-roasted chickpeas and the quartered dates and arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the quartered dates and drizzle with the tahini sauce. Top with the remaining za'atar (to your own personal preference) and chopped parsley.Serve warm or at room temperature.
Leave a Reply