Roasted Butternut Squash with Cumin Seeds, Feta and Pistachi

• servings: 4 servings
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly crushed

1½ teaspoons packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika mixed with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 pound butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces

4 ounces (1 cup) feta cheese, crumbled (see headnote)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

¼ teaspoon grated lime zest, plus ½ teaspoon lime juice

3 tablespoons raw or roasted pistachios, chopped

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, cumin, sugar, ¾ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add the squash and toss. Distribute in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then pour any oil remaining in the bowl over the squash. Roast until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the largest piece meets no resistance, 35 to 40 minutes.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the squash to a serving platter. In a small bowl, fold together the feta, cream, lime zest and juice and the remaining ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper; the mixture will resemble cottage cheese. Spoon the feta mixture over the squash and sprinkle with the pistachios.

Notes

Took longer to bake, try adding in some parm to the cheese mix? Add some salt…