It very recently dawned on me that in all my excitement about the arrival of spring- the crocuses have been popping up and we’ve had the (very) occasional stint of unbroken blue sky (!)- I’d forgotten the good things about winter and what we’re leaving behind.
I’m talking about winter vegetables of course!
I do have quite a number of squash recipes on Coconut and Berries already it seems:
Miso-Curry Roasted Squash with Crispy Chickpeas & Kale
Kabocha, Spinach, Brown Rice & Miso Broth
Butternut, Barley & Lentil Pilaf
Ethiopian Yellow Split Pea & Butternut Stew
Butternut & Lentil Salad with Tahini Dressing
Red Lentil & Root Vegetable Tagine
But I still don’t feel like I’ve had my fill of squash and find myself slightly panicking about it’s upcoming disappearance!
You might have to put up with another spate of squash recipes here in the next few weeks before I put it aside for a few months.
Today’s recipe doesn’t actually have to feature butternut anyway and the delicious walnut parsley pesto I served it with is good in all manner of dishes. Made with toasted walnuts, fresh parsley and sweet, smoky roasted red pepper, it packs a real punch of flavour to anything it touches. I’ve only listed the amount I made initially which is enough to serve with a medium butternut plus a little leftover, but I definitely recommend scaling up the recipe!
I made the butternut the star of my meal and ate it with a couple of very simple side-dishes- steamed broccoli (my favourite vegetable!) and some leftover quinoa and lentils.
- 1 Medium butternut squash, peeled and sliced according to preference
- 1/2T Olive oil
- 1/3C Walnut pieces
- 1 Clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 Medium red pepper (approx 1/3C roasted)
- 1T Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2t Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2C Loosely packed fresh parsley
- Preheat oven to 190C/375F.
- Scatter the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 5-10 minutes, until they begin to brown and smell toasted. Alternatively, toast nuts in a dry pan over medium heat.
- Remove nuts from oven and set aside
- Place the red pepper (I usually do a few at a time and use the rest in other recipes) on a baking sheet and roast for approx 40 minutes, until charred and very soft. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate or plastic wrap. After 10 minutes the steam should have loosened the skins and you should be able to easily peel them off with your hands. Set aside.
- Toss the sliced squash with the 1/2T olive oil and season to taste, spread on a baking sheet and roast for approx 20 minutes, depending on size of pieces.
- Meanwhile, continue with the pesto. Pulse together the toasted nuts, roasted red pepper, garlic, olive oil, lemon and salt and pepper in a food processor, until you have a coarse purée. I prefer this a little on the chunky side so you can see the separate ingredients.
- Pulse in the parsley and check for seasoning.
- Arrange the roasted butternut on a serving dish and dollop with as much pesto as you like.
- - This pesto can be used just like conventional basil pesto and is delicious on pasta, as a spread for pizza or a sandwich spread, as a dip for veggies or swirled into hummus.
Is there anything about winter you’ll miss? Or will you just be pleased to see the back of it?
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It looks fabulous, Emma!
What I’ll miss about winter is the snow we didn’t have… I saw some when I was driving through the Cairngorms to Inverness, but below the Highlands, nada. Scotland has failed me.
Thankfully though, I think it will still be chilly enough for us here to enjoy chunky, hearty bean soups well into April. Those are my favourite
Aaaaw, sorry you missed out on the snow! I’m only keen on snow when I’m skiing!
Sadly, we’re still in the middle of winter here, so this is a timely recipe for me. I love the idea of the walnut pesto on butternut. I make a raw walnut “meat” that’s very similar. I wonder what would happen if I tried your pesto raw.
I’m pretty grateful that spring seems to be on its way. I really can’t hack the cold and rain.
I guess you could try the pesto raw but I really like the sweet, smoky taste of the roasted red pepper. Maybe add a little smoked paprika if you use raw pepper?
Hey Emma, haven’t been to your blog in a bit - wow, LOVE the new layout!! It seems you made it a “professional” one, right? So cool!! Congrats! Just subscribed to your newsletter - yay! hugs, Sylvia
Thanks Sylvia! I decided I was due a makeover
I much prefer it.
We are just starting to see a glimmer of autumn here - slightly shorter days, slightly cooler nights - and I am very, very excited for it
I am sure you’re thrilled to have some sun appearing after winter though, even if it means winter vegetables will be heading into hibernation. This looks like a lovely way to embrace squash while it is still in season!
I guess you’ll be skipping winter then this year as you’ll be in England come summer time! I’m definitely thrilled to see the signs of spring!
I love it when you see a recipe and you think, ‘hey, that looks nice, and I’ve got all the ingredients in my freezer to boot!’ Thanks for giving me an idea for dinner!
That’s great to hear Joey
Glad I could provide you with some inspiration.
I’ve taken a butternut break these past few weeks, but I really should revel in it while it’s still around before I find myself missing it in May or June and then not being able to get it until September. I love this pesto on top! So full of great flavor!
I’d managed to forget about it too! I’m going to grab a couple more squashes before time runs out.
Wow how jealous am I that you are starting to see glimmers of spring!! WE are firmly planted in winter here. Ah well I shall try to see the bright side of things- more squash! Yay
Aw, sorry about that Gabby. There’s always a positive though
Mmmm, slathered on a sandwich with roasted veggies…
PS I sure wish we’d see some hints of spring here - I need some sun!!
Sorry you’re still fighting the winter. Think of the positivea of those roasted veggies and hearty soups
I love those colours and I love roasted red pepper anything so I will have a go at this, I bet it’s delicious stirred through pasta too or simply with pita dunked in. Yum!
I used the leftovers as a dip for carrot sticks and it was great like that too..I could probably just eat it with a spoon 😀
Oh yum, how good does that pesto sound! And I agree - one can never had too many squash recipes 😉
Thanks Dearna. Glad you’re happy with squash recipes 😀
I love squash to keep the recipes coming! The pesto sounds fantastic, I’m with Annie, slathering it on a sandwich with some roasted veggies sounds delicious.
I want signs of spring! We just have snow, snow and more snow. Oh and sub-zero temps that have made me so cold I’m not sure I will ever be warm again.
I think we’ve made it through the winter with no snow…though I better not speak too soon!
Go roast up some squash and get some soup inside you 😀
just keep the squash coming, I feel exactly the same way!
Need to load up at the farmers’ market on Saturday!