Autumn, Winter, Light Meals, Main, Sides

Warm Roasted Squash Salad

This salad is a timeless classic, make your pesto with any old herbs that need using up, and nuts you have spare, add in the slow roasted garlic from roasting the squash, small handful of toasted nuts to finish and dollops of creamy cool Mozzarella or burrata and viola, Simple pleasures.

I used an acorn squash here, but any squash will do. Vegan Mozzarella style cheese is readily available, but you could omit altogether. It’s also delicious stirred through pasta and served with a well-dressed green salad.

SERVES:
2-4

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

Squash

1 acorn squash

6 garlic cloves

¼ tsp chilli flakes

2 tbs good extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

Good grind black pepper

Pesto

Handful toasted nuts roughly chopped, I used hazelnuts but Walnuts, pine nuts, almonds all good. Reserving some to serve.

Large handful herbs, I used basil

Handful wild rocket

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Juice 1 lemon

50g parmesan cheese grated or vegan alternative like nooch

Options to Serve

1 ball of mozzarella or burrata or vegan alternative

Green salad

Pasta

Good bread

Instructions

Pre heat the oven to 160°C Fan
Cut the squash into quarters and place on the baking tray, keeping the garlic cloves in their skin, bash with the side of a knife and add around the squash.
Drizzle with the oil and season with the salt peeper and chilli. Place in the pre heated oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the squash is soft and caramelized.
Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle squash the soft garlic from the skin into a bowl, add in the remaining pesto ingredients. Either using a handheld stick blender or food processor blitz to pesto consistency. Taste for seasoning and add extra salt, cheese, lemon juice or oil to loosen.
To serve, add the squash to a platter tearing into smaller pieces if you like, dollop with the mozzarella, pesto and finish with the reserved nuts.
Delicious served with green salad and crusty sourdough.