This recipe is from a book named “Persiana” by Sabrina Ghayour.

Middle Eastern people often perceive butternut squash as bland. Taking inspiration from an Asian pesto-and-squash dish made by Sabrina’s friend, the chef Tony Singh, she came up with her own Persian pistachio pesto, adding salty crumbled feta cheese and a handful of vibrant pomegranate seeds for a burst of flavour. The result? It has become one of my favourite dishes for a meat-free main meal.

SERVES 2 AS A MAIN COURSE

OR 4 AS A SIDE DISH

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, quartered lengthways and deseeded

4 tbsp olive oil

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

150g (5½oz) feta cheese

100g (3½oz) pomegranate seeds

For the pesto

100g (3½oz) shelled pistachio nuts

70g (2½oz) Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese, chopped into rough chunks

olive oil

small bunch of coriander, leaves picked

small bunch of parsley, leaves picked

1 small bunch of dill, leaves picked

3 tbsp chilli oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Preheat the oven to 200℃/fan 180℃/gas mark 6. Once the oven is hot, rub each wedge of butternut squash with the oil, season generously with sea salt flakes and black pepper and place it on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Roast the squash for about 45-50 minutes, or just until the edges have begun to char slightly. You want to blacken the edges a little — this gives them a nice chewy texture. To check the squash to see if it is properly cooked, insert a knife into the flesh if it slides clean through, the squash is ready. If you feel resistance, return the squash to the oven for a few more minutes. *E

While the squash is roasting * In a food processor, blitz the pistachios and cheese together, adding a generous amount of olive oil to slacken the mixture. Put all the herbs into the food processor with a little more olive oil as well as the chilli oil and lemon juice and blitz again, then add a handful of crushed sea salt flakes and give the mixture one last blitz. Taste the pesto, ensuring it has enough salt and acidity, then allow it to rest in the refrigerator until you need it.

* Serve each wedge of butternut squash on a plate, drizzled generously with the vibrant green pesto, Crumble the feta cheese on top and scatter over the pomegranate seeds to finish.