Za’atar Spiced Squash and Chickpea Traybake with Garlic, Tahini and Mint
This is such an easy and flavoursome supper dish. I like to make it with Crown Prince squash, which has a wonderfully creamy and nutty flavour and is so much less sweet than other varieties.
Serves 4
Ingredients
One medium size squash, washed, deseeded and cut into 1-2cm wedges
3 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
2 tbsp za’atar
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained
1 lemon
75g tahini
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
100ml cold water
20g fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 tsp sumac, ground
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Put the squash and onion wedges onto a baking tray or two, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and za’atar and put in the oven to roast for 20 minutes.
After 10 minutes in the oven, remove from the oven and add the chickpeas. Turn the vegetables if needed. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes to bake the chickpeas.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Blend the lemon juice, tahini, garlic and water together using a small blender. Taste and season with salt if you need to. Set aside.
When the timer goes off for the vegetables, check the chickpeas are lightly firm and crisp and the squash is tender. Pour or drizzle the dressing over the veg. Serve on plates, topped with mint and sumac. A dollop of yoghurt, extra olive oil and za’atar can be nice accompaniments. A flatbread on the side to mop up the juices is a lovely addition.