Roast Butternut Pumpkin with Tahini Sauce

For those who love pumpkin but hate cutting it up, which could be a tedious job, here's a recipe for you.  Use butternut pumpkin that has already been halved from the shop and send it to the oven as is with just a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  (Scoop out the seeds after the pumpkin is cooked - it's easier.)  Then, it's a matter of taking it to the next level with a drizzling of creamy tahini sauce, almond flakes for crunch and chopped mint leaves for freshness.  Roast some red onion wedges on the side for an extra bite of natural sweetness.  

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• half a butternut pumpkin
• 1 red onion, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup toasted almond flakes
• a handful of mint leaves, finely chopped

Tahini sauce:

• ⅓ cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup water
• a pinch of salt

METHOD

1. Line an oven tray with baking paper.  Place the pumpkin and onions on the tray and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil.  Sprinkle over a little salt and pepper.
2. Roast in a preheated 200°C /400°F oven until the pumpkin flesh is tender, about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkin.  The onions need a little less cooking time so keep an eye out and remove them from the oven before they get too burnt.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce by combining tahini, lemon juice, water and salt in a small jug.  Mix into a smooth sauce.
4. When the pumpkin is cooked, scoop out and discard the seeds. Drizzle over the tahini sauce and the remaining spoonful of olive oil.  
5. Scatter over the almonds and chopped mint.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cut pumpkin into thick slices and serve with the onions.