This is a recipe I love making in autumn. Red kuri squash is quite sweet, so I like to serve it with a tangy sauce: here I use both a Greek yogurt cream with roasted garlic and a lemony parsley pistou, topped with toasted hazelnuts. The sauces actually take only 5 minutes to prepare. The result is a quick, healthy, vegetarian meal that we adore at home during squash season.
Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Parsley Pistou and Roasted Garlic Yogurt Cream
Course: Main course
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 595 kcal
Ingredients
Roasted red kuri squash
- ½ red kuri squash
- 3 cl olive oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp herbes de Provence
- Salt and pepper
Roasted garlic yogurt cream
- 1 head of garlic
- A drizzle of olive oil
- 200 g Greek yogurt (0% or regular)
Parsley pistou
- 2 large handfuls flat-leaf parsley
- 1 spring onion
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of one lemon
- Salt
To serve
- 40 g hazelnuts
- A few flat-leaf parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional).
- Wash the red kuri squash, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and cut one of the two halves into half-moons about 2 cm thick. Place the squash on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Mix the olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, smoked paprika, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper, then brush the squash with the mixture on both sides.
- Cut the top off the head of garlic, place it on a square of parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil, and close into a parcel. Place it on the baking tray.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the squash halfway through.
- While the squash roasts, toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan, then roughly crush them.
- Blend the flat-leaf parsley, spring onion, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a small food processor.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the Greek yogurt with a pinch of salt and pepper, then mix.
- Spread the roasted garlic yogurt cream on a large plate, place the hot squash on top, add the parsley pistou, then scatter with hazelnuts and a few parsley leaves.
Nutrition
Calories: 595 kcal | Carbohydrates: 39 g | Protein: 17 g | Fat: 45 g | Saturated fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated fat: 5 g | Monounsaturated fat: 32 g | Trans fat: 0.01 g | Cholesterol: 5 mg | Sodium: 74 mg | Potassium: 1549 mg | Fiber: 8 g | Sugar: 12 g | Vitamin A: 5323 IU | Vitamin C: 58 mg | Calcium: 245 mg | Iron: 4 mg
How to Roast the Red Kuri Squash
For the squash, I use my basic oven-roasted red kuri squash recipe. I cut it in half, remove the seeds, then slice it into half-moons with the skin on (yes, the skin is edible and even full of vitamins!). Then I like to brush the squash with a spiced marinade. For cooking, I allow 35 to 40 minutes at 200°C (fan), depending on size, turning the pieces halfway through. I explain everything in detail, with the cuts and cooking times, in my oven-baked red kuri squash recipe.
The Roasted Garlic Yogurt Cream
When I put the squash in the oven, I also add a whole head of garlic, covered in olive oil and wrapped in parchment paper. It slowly confits, then I simply crush it and mix it with a little yogurt and salt.
The Parsley Pistou
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to call this sauce: I simply blend fresh parsley and a spring onion (scallion) with a little lemon juice and olive oil. Why “pistou”? It refers to Provençal pistou, which is simply basil mixed with olive oil and garlic.
Starter, Sharing Plate, or Dinner?
All three! I serve this recipe either as a starter, as a sharing plate in the middle of the table where everyone helps themselves, or sometimes as a main course in the evening. It makes a balanced vegetarian meal to which I can add a little panko-crusted tofu, for example.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I replace red kuri squash with another squash?
Yes, butternut works well too, but its skin is thicker. I explain how to prepare it in my article on cutting and peeling butternut squash.
Which yogurt should I use?
You can use any yogurt. Personally, I often use Greek yogurt, either 0% or regular, depending on whether I want a more or less healthy meal. The thicker it is, the better your yogurt cream will hold under the squash.
Can I replace roasted garlic with fresh garlic or garlic powder?
Yes, absolutely! However, if you replace it with fresh garlic, one clove is enough. Fresh garlic is much stronger than roasted garlic. Garlic powder works too, but I prefer to use it for the marinade because in the yogurt sauce the taste is a bit unusual.
If you make this dish, let me know in the comments how you served it, and don’t forget to rate the recipe—it supports me enormously.
More Squash Recipes
- Oven-roasted red kuri squash
- Quiche with roasted pumpkin, feta, and spinach
- Oven-roasted winter vegetables
- Butternut squash salad with chickpeas and feta
- Creamy oven-roasted butternut squash soup
