Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad

*Adapted from Smittenkitchen.com

INGREDIENTS

For Salad:
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher Salt/Pepper, to taste
- One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (or mix of both)

For Tahini Dressing:
- 1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste
- Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

- Preheat the oven to 425°F.

- In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and salt/pepper to taste. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool. Taste for seasonings, and add as needed.

- Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasonings. Add salt if needed. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a kick of lemon. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.

- To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully with spatula, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. I prefer to leave the salad very lightly dressed, and allow people to add more. But, if you are making this a day ahead, I leave the salad completely undressed, and dress when ready to serve.