Getting to the heart of winter squash
This simple roasted butternut squash recipe let's the flavor of a winter favorite shine through in all its golden glory.
Brighten your meal with vibrant roasted butternut squash. A member of the winter squash family (which includes acorn, spaghetti and delicata squash), this mildly sweet squash is chock full of of vitamins A, B6, C and E.
Winter squash are notorious for their tough exteriors, but don’t let that intimidate you. Follow the step-by-step instructions for preparing a butternut squash, and you may be surprised how easy it is. But if you still feel like you don’t have time to do it yourself, check your grocery store for fresh, diced, ready-to-cook butternut squash.
In this recipe, roasting the squash at high heat allows caramelization (the browning of the squash’s natural sugars) to occur, enhancing the mild sweetness. The result is a delicious side dish fit for Thanksgiving dinner or a weeknight meal.
This versatile squash can be prepared sweet or savory. Consider roasting winter squash with apples and cinnamon for a sweet side or toss squash with chili powder and garlic for another savory option. It’s your kitchen — get creative!
Ingredients
| 1 large squash or two medium*, alternatively 2 12oz packages of pre-chopped butternut squash |
| 2 teaspoons olive oil |
| 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced (fresh rosemary and sage are great alternatives) |
| Salt and pepper to taste |
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- If using a whole squash, check out the gallery below for step-by-step preparation instructions:
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- Slice off stem and base of squash, revealing the orange flesh and leaving a flat surface.
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- Peel the squash all the way down to the orange flesh. Leave no yellow flesh or green veins.
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- Fully peeled squash.
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- Cut your squash into two manageable pieces. Slice in half where the long neck meets the bulbous bottom.
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- Cut the bulbous portion in half, revealing the seeds. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon, scraping the inside clean. If you enjoy pumpkin seeds, consider roasting the butternut squash seeds using the same method.
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- Cut both halves lengthwise into 1 inch thick (as close as you can get) sections.
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- Rotate sections horizontally and cut into 1 inch dice.
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- Vertically cut the long neck of the squash into 1 inch thick planks. If your neck is extra long cut it into two sections to make it more manageable.
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- Lay planks flat and cut each one into 1 inch thick strips.
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- Rotate strips horizontally and cut into 1 inch dice.
- On a large sheet pan, toss squash pieces with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix again spreading the squash pieces over the entire pan. The more room between pieces, the better they will brown.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then stir or turn with a spatula. Roast for an additional 10 minutes or until the squash is tender and lightly browned.
Serves 6. Serving Size: 1 cup cooked squash.
*Squash sizes vary. If using whole squash, 1 large squash or two medium will feed 4-6 people, serving size is 1 cup cooked squash.
Nutrition
| Calories | 96 | Total Fat | 2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g | Monounsaturated Fat | 1 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0 g | Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | Sodium | 8 mg |
| Potassium | 584 mg | Total Carbohydrate | 22 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g | Sugars | 4 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
