Featuring a zinc-rich pumpkin seed pesto and vitamin A- packed butternut squash, this glamorous side dish has the nutritional resumé needed to boost your body’s natural defences against those foreign invaders that are giving your head, eyes, nose, and throat a hard time. Adding a handful of vibrant pomegranate seeds gives a burst of sweet-tart flavour, and Asiago cheese has a nutty personality that pairs perfectly with buttery squash.
Tips
- Feel free to swap out Asiago for feta or goats’ cheese. Use extra pesto to elevate sandwiches, pasta dishes, and even salad dressings.
- The extra step of blanching greens like kale and herbs before blending results in an emerald-green pesto that keeps its vibrant colour for longer. After a short time in boiling water, it’s important to shock your greens in an ice bath to halt the cooking process.
Roasted Butternut with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 cups (750 mL) stemmed, packed kale
- 1 cup (250 mL) flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil
- 2 medium butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) diced Asiago cheese
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories311
- protein11g
- fat17g
- saturated fat5g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates34g
- sugars8g
- fibre6g
- sodium178mg
Directions
01
In heatproof strainer, place kale and parsley and then dip strainer into large pot of boiling water just until kale and parsley turn brighter green. Lift strainer from pot and then immediately dunk into bowl of ice water for 10 seconds to halt the cooking. Drain well and place greens in food processor along with pumpkin seeds, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Blend into a coarse paste. With machine running, slowly pour in oil through the feed tube until incorporated. Add a little water if needed.
02
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C) and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush flesh of butternut squash with oil and place on baking sheet flesh side down. Roast squash until knife slides easily through skin and flesh, about 40 minutes.
03
To serve, spread pumpkin seed pesto on butternut wedges and sprinkle on pomegranate seeds, cheese, and, if desired, some additional pumpkin seeds.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Sausage-Rice Stuffed Chard with Walnut Sauce
Reminiscent of the stuffed cabbage of yore, the flavour profile of these stuffed chard smacks of cozy fall. It looks all fancy, but everything comes together surprisingly quickly. If desired, you can use turkey or pork sausage and brown rice. Time-saver tip For larger grains, such as wild rice and spelt, it’s a very good idea to soak them for several hours before cooking. This will slash the cooking time by about a third. If not soaking the wild rice, add roughly 20 minutes to the simmering time.
Freekeh Medley Stuffed Eggplant
This stuffed eggplant is built upon layers of Middle Eastern flavours: smoky freekeh, tender chickpeas, and a herbal tahini sauce. The quick-pickled raisins add a sweet vinegary pop. Sweat it out Salting eggplant before cooking enhances the flavour by allowing eggplant to sweat out its bitterness and breaking its spongy texture.
Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblano Peppers
In this enchilada riff, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell, rather than tortillas, to pack an extra veggie serving into your meal and trim the starchy calories. If you can’t find poblanos, which are mild, dark green Mexican peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers. Flour power Made from nixtamalized corn (corn soaked in limewater), masa harina flour adds a touch of corny flavour to enchilada stuffing or a pot of chili.
Crab Cap Salad
These crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can do double duty as a fancy starter for a casual dinner party or a light main course on any given night. Meaty and umami-rich portobellos serve as a holder for a light-tasting seafood salad. Gills begone Even though the gills of mushrooms are edible, they will darken and discolour everything they touch. Besides, after you scrape out the gills, you’ll have more room for stuffing. And don’t discard the stems; they can be saved and used when making veggie stock.