The creaminess along with the tartness of goat cheese balances out the the rich caramelized sweetness that roasting squash brings out. I love the garlicky tahini dressing that is drizzled over this Roast Acorn Squash with Goat Cheese and Tahini Dressing recipe.
We made this recipe a couple of weeks ago to serve with a roasted chicken. When we were working on our menu for Thanksgiving and hoped this would be a winner. Guess what? It was! When we started mixing and playing with flavor combinations we had no idea how perfect it would be.
This acorn squash recipe was inspired by a roasted pumpkin recipe I found in Australian Gourmet. This dish is middle eastern-inspired with using a garlicky tahini dressing. I tossed in some cilantro to add color and brighten up the recipe a bit, and one can never go wrong with creamy goat cheese added. I am thinking this recipe will be a great substitution for those yams that always seem to find their way onto a Thanksgiving table. This would also make a great vegetarian entree when served in place of the turkey for your non-meat loving friends and family.
Recipe: Roast Acorn Squash with Goat Cheese and Tahini Dressing
*adapted from Australian Gourmet
Ingredients:
3 lb acorn squash cut into wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
85 grams natural almonds – we did not add the almonds, we were going to use pumpkin seeds but ran out of time
80 grams soft goat’s cheese
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
How To:
Preheat oven to 350.
Place acorn squash wedges, skin side down, in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, season to taste and roast until tender 45 – 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, roast almonds on an oven tray until golden, 6 – 7 minutes, cool, then coarsely chop.
For the tahini dressing, crush garlic cloves to a smooth paste in a mortar and pestle, whisk in the remaining ingredients and season to taste.
Divide pumpkin wedges among plates, crumble over the cheese, scatter with the almonds and cilantro leaves, and drizzle with the tahini dressing.
Serve.
Eat.
More Roasted Squash Recipes
Roasted Brussels sprouts and Butternut Squash Pasta Salad
Roasted Kabocha with Tahini Dressing
Karine
Sunday 15th of November 2009
Original and delicious way to enjoy roast acorn squash! Thanks for sharing :)
Allison Arevalo
Saturday 14th of November 2009
Beautiful photo! Alejandro doesn't really eat squash, but he would LOVE this. I should have picked some up at the market today.
Jason Sandeman
Saturday 14th of November 2009
I like the flavors in this dish. The way the sweetness of the acorn squash mingle with the tartness of the goat cheese, and the sour notes of the tahini and lemon juice.
This dish is money!
Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite
Friday 13th of November 2009
Love love LOVE all these flavours! What a nice twist on a baked squash!
Dana
Friday 13th of November 2009
When I was a kid, my mom always used to roast acorn squash for her and my dad (my brothers and I wouldn't go near it). She just did it with butter and a bit of maple syrup. I love the idea of this, a bit more savory. And so pretty!