I made this one night last week, and my husband replicated it without consulting the recipe at all. It's just not fair.

Ingredients

SALSA

n 8 ounces tomatillos

n 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

n 1 jalapeno pepper

n 1/4 cup sliced white onion

n 1/2 ripe avocado, diced

n 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

n 1/4 teaspoon salt

n Freshly ground pepper to taste

TACOS

n 4 cups diced (1/2-inch) peeled butternut squash

n 3-4 small dried red chiles

n 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled, smashed and left whole

n 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

n 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican, divided

n 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

n 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, divided

n 1 can pinto beans, drained

n 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

n Freshly ground pepper to taste

n 8 6-inch corn tortillas

n 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

n 1/2 cup finely shredded and chopped red or green cabbage

Preparation

To prepare salsa: Remove husks from tomatillos and place in boiling water until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Toast garlic cloves, jalapeno and onion in a dry medium skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic. Remove the jalapeno stem and remove seeds if desired. Combine tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno, onion and avocado in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Stir in cilantro, salt and pepper. Set aside for topping tacos.

To prepare tacos: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put squash in a medium bowl and, using kitchen shears, finely snip chiles into small pieces (seeds and all) into bowl. Add garlic, oil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and whole cumin seeds; toss to coat. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until soft and beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Peel and finely chop the garlic when cool enough to handle; stir into the squash.

Meanwhile, combine beans in a saucepan with remaining 1/4 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground cumin, chili powder and pepper. Heat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.

Warm tortillas one at a time in a skillet over medium heat until soft and pliable. Wrap in a clean towel to keep warm. Spoon 1/4 cup of the warm beans into each tortilla; divide the roasted squash evenly among the tacos and top each with cilantro, cabbage, 1/2 cup of the salsa (refrigerate the remaining 1/2 cup salsa for up to 2 days).