Butternut squash is as versatile as the potato; while it’s delicious enough on its own, pistachio pesto, feta and pomegranate make for mighty fine additions
The numbers:
Cals: 572
Protein: 21g
Fat: 38g
Sat Fat: 14g
Carbs: 37g
Sugar: 23g
Serves 2
100g shelled pistachios
70g parmesan, cut into chunks
Olive oil
1 small bunch of coriander, leaves picked
1 small bunch of parsley, leaves picked
1 small bunch of dill, leaves picked
3 tbsp chilli oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 butternut squash, quartered, deseeded
150g feta, crumbled
100g pomegranate seeds
Method
1 To make pesto, blitz pistachios and parmesan in a blender, with enough olive oil to slacken the mixture. Add herbs, a little more olive oil, chilli oil and lemon juice, and blitz again. Add a handful of crushed sea salt and blitz once more. Allow to rest in the fridge.
2 Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Rub squash with 2 tbsp oil and season. Roast on a lined baking sheet for 45 mins, or until the edges begin to char and a knife slides cleanly into the flesh.
3 Drizzle with 2 tbsp pesto. Sprinkle with feta and pomegranate seeds.
Butternut squash with pistachio pesto, feta and pomegranate, from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley, £25; www.octopusbooks.co.uk). Photography by Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton.