Butternut Panzanella with Tahini-Yogurt Dressing

Craving some veggies, fruit, and bread?

Me too. In fact, I’m always craving bread so anytime I can put a healthier spin on it - I’m all in. Follow along below to see how simple ingredients can quickly become a decadent meal or side dish.

Get ready for delicious flavor

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I’ve been craving this butternut-pomegranate panzanella. Seriously - it’s one of my favorite dishes for chilly days. The bread and roasted squash are comforting, while the pomegranate and lemon flavoring add a pick-me-up sweetness. Plus, with the savory pancetta - it’s a win all around. Today, I went on my normal Trader Joe’s haul, but during a not so normal time (corona times). I ended up waiting in line for an hour before I could enter the store. Don’t get me wrong - no complaints here - I did some stretching and yoga moves to pass the time. Yes, I’m not kidding - I was that lady in line.

There’s not much more that could elevate this recipe, but if you have the time to bake your own bread and prep a fresh pomegranate - I highly recommend it! That was the plan today, but with no whole pomegranates and little time to bake homemade bread - I settled on this - and dang, is it good!

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt

1/4 cup tahini paste

Lemon juice from 2 lemons

3 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 teaspoon maple syrup or date syrup

Here’s what you need:

1 pack butternut squash or 1 small butternut squash cut into 1 inch pieces

1 red onion, cut into 1/2 wedges

4 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1/2 cup pancetta, diced

2 1/2 cups 1 inch bread cubes

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (prepacked or 1 pomegranate)

1/2 cup Tahini-Yogurt Dressing

Here’s how you do it:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss the butternut squash and onion wedges with 2 tbsp oil on a sheet pan. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Vegetables should begin to brown and crisp up.

2. Meanwhile, toss the bread cubes with remaining 2 tbsp oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. When vegetables are done, add bread cubes to the sheet pan with the vegetables. Toss to mix them up and make an even layer. Return the pan to the oven and toast for 10 minutes, until the bread is beautifully golden.

3. While the bread and vegetables are cooking, saute the pancetta until browned and make the tahini-yogurt dressing. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and maple syrup. If dressing is too thick to drizzle, add a small amount of water and mix.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and plan the bread and vegetables on a large serving platter. Scatter the pomegranates seeds and pancetta on top. Drizzle with the tahini-yogurt dressing. Place extra tahini-yogurt dressing for extra dips!

Enjoy!