1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Prepare squash and onion.

Wash the squash well because you’re not going to be peeling it. Cut the squash into rounds that are 3/4 of an inch thick. Then slice them into strips that are about 1 inch thick – the strips can be as long as you like (if this is confusing, sorry – you can look at what the piece look like once cooked in step 4 below for a visual).

Halve the onions vertically (from root to top), then cut each half into 6 wedges. (If you’re keeping track, you’ve now cut each onion into 12 wedges).

3. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Dump the cut-up squash and onion onto the parchment paper. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. This is not a good time to arrange the squash and onion and just spray olive oil over the tops – you need to get the olive oil all over or the squash will stick to the parchment paper.

4. Roast at 475 for 30 minutes.

I use convection to get the squash & onions extra crisp. Check on it after 20 minutes to make sure nothing is burning and you don’t need to rotate the tray. 

5. Prep the pine nuts.

Place 2 tbsp of olive oil into a small frying pan. Heat over low heat and then add the 3 tbsp of pine nuts and about 1/4 tsp of salt. The pine nuts should very gently sizzle. Move the pine nuts around in the pan every few minutes, keeping a close eye so you don’t burn them. After about 5-6 minutes, turn off the heat and allow to cool.

6. Prepare the yogurt tahini sauce.

Mix together the 3 tbsp tahini, 3 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 crushed garlic clove in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of plain yogurt. Mix together until smooth. Set aside.

7. Allow the squash to cool for 5-10 minutes.

This gives the squash the opportunity to cool a bit and crisp up. I’ve found that if you put it straight into a serving bowl, the hot squash steams the onions and other squash and the dish can get a little soggy.

8. Wash and chop 3 tbsp of parsley

9. Make it all look pretty.

Dump the roasted squash and onions in a big bowl. Dump the pine nuts and olive oil over the squash and onions. Place spoonfuls of yogurt tahini sauce randomly (“artfully”) over the top. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of za’atar over everything. Top with the chopped parsley.

10. Enjoy!