Preheat oven to 375 F/190 C.

Slice butternut squash lengthwise and hollow out the center.

Slice squash into semi-circles.

Coat squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast squash until tender, about 20 minutes.

Cook brown rice in a pot or rice cooker.

Add sumac to the rice at the end of cooking.

Mix in lemon zest when ready to serve.

Fry garlic slices in olive oil until browned.

Top rice with fried garlic.

Lightly toast almonds in a pan.

Cool toasted almonds.

Pulse almonds in a blender to make an almond meal or finely chop.

Heat a large pot on medium-high heat.

Add onions with a dash of olive oil and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add almonds and 3/4 cup water.

Bring heat down to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, adding more water if needed.

In a blender, add 3/4 of the pomegranate syrup, dates, and vegetable broth.

Blend until smooth.

Add blended syrup and date mixture, saffron water, cinnamon, salt, and pepper to the pot with almonds and onions.

Combine ingredients in the pot.

Taste the sauce and add the rest of the pomegranate syrup to taste.

Add water as needed if it looks dry.

Simmer covered on medium-low/low heat for ~30 minutes or until it has reached a thick sauce consistency.

Serve sauce with roasted squash and rice.