Butternut squash, red onion & tahini casserole

Thanksgiving, 2015

If ever a Chez Toby needed a picture!  This dish has a minimal number of ingredients and a knockout appearance and taste.  The key is to cut the onions the way the recipe says to, because the onion sections (each an eighth of a globe, the south pole or root portion of each eighth remaining intact to secure all of the layers) fan out beautifully and can be arranged atop the squash, violet floral motifs on deep orange.  Here are leftovers to give an idea: 

Ingredients for maybe 8 servings:

• 4 large red onions
• 2 pounds butternut squash (can increase and just mound up for more servings)
• 1/3 c or more pine nuts or shelled green pistachio nuts
• tahini sauce (1/4 c. tahini paste, 2 T. lemon juice, 1 clove minced garlic (or smash bulb and use immersion blender to make sauce), 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 c. water, 1T olive oil or more lemon juice if desired)
• 1/2 c. oil, salt, pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with olive oil or use parchment.
2. Peel onions, leaving root ends intact. (Just leave the solid, connected part of the root end; it's OK to cut off any root portion protruding from globe.)  Cut each onion in half from stem to root. Cut each half into 4 wedges, leaving the root intact so that each wedge holds together. Spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
3. Peel squashes and likewise cut them into vertical wedges, 1/2" wide at outer side - - or around 8 wedges per typical squash.  Put the squash in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and about 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet.
4. Place both pans in oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions, as they may cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier.
5. If using nuts, pour 1 tablespoon oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add nuts and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown and smell toasty. Immediately remove from the heat and dump onto a cutting board to stop the cooking. If using pistachios, chop coarsely when cool enough to handle.
6. To make tahini sauce, place tahini in a bowl. Add lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or a tablespoon of olive oil if necessary.
7. When the vegetables are cooked, set aside until ready to serve. (The vegetables should be served the same day they are made. They can be served at warm room temperature, or reheated just before serving.)
8. To serve, combine vegetables on a large serving platter. If using tahini sauce, drizzle on top. Sprinkle any garnish, if using (eg cilantro, parsley) and nuts on top and serve.