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Roasted Squash with Spicy Onions and Goat Cheese

A beautiful, healthy and delicious fall side dish that is highly adaptable.  Use any kind of winter squash you like, or even a combination, vary the nuts from pecans to hazelnuts, to pepitas, and if you prefer feta to the goat cheese, by all means use that. You can make the onions up to a day in advance, but add the lime zest right before you assemble everything. Toast the nuts and make the onions early in the day, then gently combine with the squash and herbs when the squash is still warm. This is best served warm the day it's made. Reheat leftovers in the microwave. 
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the Onions

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large red onion sliced
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey

And the rest

  • 1 cup roasted and skinned pecans
  • 2 - 3 large delicata squash about 4 lb., peeled, seeded, sliced into rings about 1/2” thick, then cut those into half moons
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 4 oz. fresh goat cheese crumbled

Instructions

For the onions

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, stirring often, until a bit charred and softened but not falling apart, 5–7 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and toss it all to combine. Remove the pan from heat and mix in the lime juice and honey. Let cool, then mix in the lime zest.
  • Do ahead: Spicy onions can be made 1 day ahead. But leave out the lime zest and add it just before the final assembly. Cover and chill.

For the rest

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Toast the nuts on a small rimmed baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 - 10 minutes. Let them cool a bit and then coarsely chop them.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 400°.
  • Toss the squash and ¼ cup oil in a medium bowl, and season generously with salt and pepper. Divide the squash between 2 rimmed baking sheets so that it's in a single layer. Don't clean the bowl yet, you'll use it again. Roast the squash, undisturbed, until tender and starting to brown a bit, 15–20 minutes.
  • Once the squash is done, scrape it and the olive oil on the sheet pan back into the bowl. Add the spicy onions and the parsley and gently toss to combine. 
  • Add the nuts and gently toss again. Then transfer the whole mixture to a large serving platter, scatter the crumbled goat cheese over all, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil.

Notes

Adapted from from Bon Appetit