Hassleback squash traybake

Recipe:

Hassleback squash traybake

PLANT-BASED | GLUTEN FREE

Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 2

Save this hasselback squash traybake when you want something simple, seasonal & comforting. Golden roasted squash is topped with a fragrant sage and walnut pesto, with crispy edges and tender flesh. Every bite delivers a nutty, herby punch, making it an effortless, show-stopping dish for any meal.

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INGREDIENTS

For the hasselback squash:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthways, seeds removed

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Sea salt & black pepper

For the sage and walnut pesto

• 40g walnuts, toasted

• 1 small bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped

• 1 small bunch of fresh sage leaves

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 4/5 tbsp olive oil (enough to blend to a spoonable consistency)

• Sea salt & black pepper, to taste

To finish

• Rocket

• Drizzle of pomegranate molasses

METHOD

Prepare the squash

• Preheat oven to 200°C (fan 180°C).

• Place each squash half cut-side down between two chopsticks. Slice across at 3–4mm intervals, stopping before cutting all the way through.

• Mix olive oil, maple syrup, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Brush generously over the squash, letting it seep into the cuts.

• Place on a lined baking tray and roast for 25 minutes. Brush with more glaze, then roast for another 20–25 minutes until tender and caramelised.

Make the pesto

• Toast the walnuts until golden.

• In a blender, blend walnuts, parsley, sage leaves, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil until smooth but still textured.

• Taste and adjust seasoning (more lemon for brightness, more oil if too thick, salt to balance).

Assemble

• Transfer the roasted squash to a serving platter.

• Spoon the sage–parsley–walnut pesto generously over the top.