ISO of an easy, delicious party-worth dip recipe that's dairy-free, nut-free, vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian? This Pepita Pesto Roasted Butternut Squash Dip Recipe is it!
3poundsbutternut squash(about 1 medium squash) halved and seeds removed
1/2cupextra-virgin olive oilplus more for garnish
1mediumgarlic headtop of garlic cut off
3/4cuppepitas(raw hulled pumpkin seeds) (about 4 ounces), plus a spoonful more for garnish
12mediumsage leaves
3/4teaspoonkosher salt
2/3cuplow-sodium vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
1handfulpacked fresh Italian parsley leaves
1tablespoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepperto taste
Maldon sea salt or other flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
Roast The Squash: Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in middle. Place the squash cut-side down (with nothing on it!) on an aluminum foil silicon mat-lined rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven. Place the olive oil and the head of garlic in a small ovenproof saucepan covered with an ovenproof top and place it on the baking sheet next to the squash in the oven.Roast the squash until it is easily poked with a fork and the garlic until it is soft and golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. If the garlic is ready before the squash, remove the garlic and oil from the oven and set aside to cool and continue to roast the squash until it is fork tender. Once the squash is tender, add pepitas and sage and roast another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the seeds are toasted and sage is crisp but not brown.the
Process The Dip: Remove everything from the oven and set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop the squash out of the skin and place in a food processor fitted with a metal S-shaped blade.Squeeze the garlic cloves out into the food processor and add the garlic infused oil, the pepitas, crisp sage, parsley, salt, half of the broth, and lemon juice and process until everything is broken down, about 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the insides of the food processor and look at the texture. You want the final dip to have the consistency of mashed potatoes. If it is dry, add the remaining broth. Let the food processor run again until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes more. Taste and add more salt or pepper, as desired.
To Serve The Dip: Place the dip in a serving bowl and garnish with a pinch of pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve the dip with cut up vegetables (we like it with cooked fingerling potatoes, radishes, cauliflower, or carrots), root vegetable chips, or crackers.