Hassleback Style Roasted Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup EV olive oil
- 2 cups of basil leaves
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp of salt
- handful pomegranate seeds for garnish
Preparation
Preheat oven at 400 f
Prepare a baking pan and line it with a parchment paper
Cut parallel slits into each squash stopping just before you cut through so that the slices stay connected at the bottom of the squash
Space the slices 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch apart
You can rest the squash on 2 wooden chopsticks and use that as a guide for when to stop slicing
Slice straight down and when your knife hits the edge of the chopsticks, stop slicing
Place the squash carefully on the baking sheet
Drizzle with the olive oil generously, season with cinnamon, paprika and salt
Baked covered for 25 min and another 20 min uncovered until squash is golden brown on the bottom and lightly toasted on the top. The center should be soft.
Make the pesto meanwhile
Add the pesto ingredients except oil in the food processor and and process until very finely minced
With the machine running slowly dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth
Serve the roasted butternut squash with the generous amount of pesto and pomegranate seeds
Enjoy!