Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe with Red Onions and Tahini

Sweet roasted butternut squash and caramelized red onion wedges get tossed with Medjool dates, toasted za’atar chickpeas, and a lemony tahini sauce for a dish that stands out on any table. The idea comes from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem cookbook, and I’ve been tweaking it in my own kitchen ever since.

It’s an easy sheet pan dinner for busy weeknights, and works just as well as a side if you skip the chickpeas.

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:

• 🏃‍♀️ Post Summary
• 🍁 Fall Squash
• 🎯 Why This Recipe Works
• 🧅 Main Ingredient Notes
• 👩‍🍳 What is Za'atar?
• 🛒 How to select the best butternut squash
• 🔪 Prep Ahead Plan
• 🥩 For the Omnivores at the Table
• 🍽 Make it a Meal
• 👩‍🍳 FAQ
• 🤩 More Protein-Packed Vegan Dishes
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Onions and Tahini

🍁 Fall Squash

There’s something about the first cool days of fall that sends me straight to the winter squash pile at the market. Butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha: they’re sturdy, affordable, and they keep for weeks on the counter, so I never feel bad about bringing home one more than I need.

Roasting is my favorite way to cook them, because a hot oven turns their mild flesh sweet and golden at the edges with almost no effort.

Winter squash is also a great canvas for bold flavors, from warm spices and fresh herbs to tangy, creamy sauces. This butternut squash and red onion dish, finished with dates, crispy chickpeas, and a lemony garlic tahini drizzle, is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.

🎯 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. 

👩‍🍳 What is Za'atar?

There’s so much to love about za’atar since it's a blend of many different flavors, textures, and even fragrances. Found in many Middle Eastern dishes, it can vary greatly from one region to the next and specific recipes are sometimes closely-guarded secrets.

Generally, za'atar is a combination of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds. Some recipes for making za'atar include salt, dried orange zest, or dried dill.

The result is a bright, earthy, herby, tangy, toasty spice mix that elevates everything it touches.

📌 Tip: More ways to use za'atar. One of my favorite ways to use this spice mix is sprinkled on labneh (strained yogurt) and a drizzle of olive oil. Other ideas include adding it to dipping oils for breads, roasted veggies, salad dressings, and your next avocado toast. Or make this Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini.

🛒 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 live.

🔪 Prep Ahead Plan

Life is busy. If you want to make this recipe during the week but don't have time or energy to do both the meal prep and finish the dish on the same evening, here's a prep ahead plan to follow. Feel free to pick and choose which items you want to do ahead.

👉 Cook the chickpeas up to 1 week ahead if you like to cook them up from dried. Store in the refrigerator in airtight container.

👉 Prep the butternut squash and red onion and store in airtight containers. Butternut squash should be used within 5 days of being cut up but the red onion will last for 7-10 days.

👉 Make the tahini sauce and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

🥩 For the Omnivores at the Table

For the omnivores at your table, serve with pork chops or roasted chicken.

🍽 Make it a Meal

If you add the chickpeas to this dish for a vegetarian main dish, you don't need much more than a simple green salad.

But if you want something more, consider seasonal vegetables such as pan roasted Brussels sprouts or maple carrots.

👩‍🍳 FAQ