Roasted Spiced Squash With Whipped Feta and Pistachios

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published Feb. 13, 2025

Roasted Spiced Squash With Whipped Feta and Pistachios
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Judy Kim.
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(896)
Comments
Read comments

Sweet and nutty, squash never fails to bring quiet luxury to the plate. Here, a generous dusting of cumin and coriander accentuates its earthiness and tempers its sweetness. (The cumin and coriander could easily be replaced with a spice blend like ras el hanout, baharat, garam masala or five-spice powder). Thin-skinned varieties of squash such as butternut, honey nut or delicata are easy to prepare (as they need no peeling), and the skin adds an essential textural bite to this dish. The velvety whipped feta is adaptable and versatile; you can add a handful of herbs to inject some color or drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil for a richer finish. For an even heartier dish, roast some chickpeas alongside the squash. Have some bread or flatbread on hand to mop up the whipped feta.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Squash

    • 2½pounds winter squash (such as butternut, honey nut or delicata), deseeded and cut into 1-inch-thick slices 
    • 2teaspoons ground coriander 
    • 1teaspoon ground cumin
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • Salt and pepper 
    • ½cup toasted pistachios, roughly chopped 
    • Handful dill, parsley or mint, roughly chopped
    • Crushed red pepper, to top

    For the Whipped Feta

    • 1(6-ounce) package feta, crumbled
    • 1garlic clove, roughly chopped
    • ½ lemon, finely zested, plus 1 tablespoon juice
    • 3 to 4tablespoons milk or water
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Place the squash on a sheet pan and add the coriander and cumin. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then toss until the squash is evenly coated. Arrange in a single layer and roast until tender and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, prepare the whipped feta: Place the feta, garlic, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons milk into a small blender or food processor; purée until completely smooth, adding another tablespoon of milk if it’s too thick or chunky. The texture should be thick and velvety but easily spreadable (similar to hummus). Stir in the lemon zest and season with lots of black pepper. Spread the whipped feta onto a large serving plate or platter.

  4. Step 4

    Place the squash on top of the whipped feta and then scatter over the pistachios, herbs and crushed red pepper. To finish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
896 user ratings
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Comments

JohnnytheCook

This was a delicious and satisfying dish! I used all delicata squash and pretty much followed the recipe, except for the feta spread, to which I added a couple of spoonfuls of Greek yogurt. For the herb portion, I used a mix of fresh mint and parsley. I don’t think this is one of those recipes that needs to be followed exactly when it comes to the spread or the herbs— although I would recommend using a high quality feta.

Linda

Yum! I made dairy-free whipped feta by whipping in a food processor on high--one block extra firm (non-silken) tofu, glove garlic, a TBL of capers (olives would work) with brine, zest and juice of one lemon, a TBL of red wine vinegar, a TBL of agave/honey, and then streaming in olive oil (maybe a quarter cup or more) until I liked the consistency.

Karen

Delicious! I added cauliflower to the squash, and it was also terrific!

mhilliard

Fabulous recipe. I prepared it with a small delicata and a kabocha squash, each with the skins left on, and doused it heavily with ras el hanout. Served on top of a small bed of kale leaves roasted with olive oil and salt so they were very crispy, and a side of Trader Joe's seasoned chickpeas... wow. This will be in our regular meal rotation, and I wish I could give it an extra star.

Lorr

I used bleu cheese instead of feta, it was great!

Linda D

Tossed the squash with olive oil and graham masala ahead of time and served whipped ricotta on the side because I had and finished with fresh mint. Easy, pretty and delicious. Next time I will just do salt and pepper so I can add more herbs (dill, parsley, mint) and not make it too complex. Finish with a sprinkle of lemon juice. Chef's kiss.

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