Why Everyone’s Making This Roasted Butternut Squash Right Now!
Here’s a great recipe using your favorite fall vegetable: Roasted Butternut Squash. What makes it so special? Added garlic, sage and pine nuts sauteed in a little bit of olive oil takes this roasted butternut squash over the top and turns it into a restaurant-quality side dish.
- 3 pounds butternut squash ((peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes))
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, (divided)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large garlic cloves, (minced)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray lightly with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, toss the butternut squash cubes with 1½ tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until the squash is as tender as desired.
- While the squash is roasting, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic, sage and pine nuts, and sauté until the pine nuts are lightly browned. Remove from heat.
- Scoop the butternut squash into a large bowl. Scrape the contents from the skillet onto the butternut squash and gently toss. Serve immediately.
This is one of those wonderful vegetable side dishes that you can actually make for lunch and enjoy it. The butternut squash caramelizes nicely when roasted, and it’s tossed with pan-fried sage (which gets a tiny bit crispy), garlic and pine nuts. Don’t like pine nuts? Leave them out. The result is a delicious combination for roasted butternut squash.
Hot tip:
Psssst…. secret tip: If you’re a fan of goat cheese, it’s fabulous sprinkled on top. (Thank me later.)
How to make Roasted Butternut Squash:
Cut the butternut squash in half directly down the middle lengthwise. It’s going to be rather tough to do since butternut squash is so hard to cut into. Use your sharpest knife and be careful (this is the hardest part). Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff with a large tablespoon, and throw those away.
Cut off the ends. Use a peeler to peel the exterior skin off of each half of the butternut squash. Peel it down until you see orange (that’s the good stuff).
Get out that sharp knife again and cut 1/2-inch strips down the length of the squash. Then cut crosswise to make a whole bunch of chunks.
Scrape all of those perfect, beautiful, orange cubes into a medium bowl, and drizzle in some olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Toss it until it’s all nicely coated.
Spread it out on a baking sheet and roast it in the oven until it’s tender and slightly caramelized.
While the squash is roasting, sauté garlic, freshly chopped sage and pine nuts in a little bit of olive oil.
Toss the sautéed goodies with the roasted butternut squash, and your dish is complete! I’ve made this so many times over the years (sometimes without the pine nuts), and everyone loves it so much. Try serving it with dijon balsamic rack of lamb (an easy recipe), pan seared steak, roast chicken, pork roast, caesar chicken or even as a side dish for your Thanksgiving meal. Enjoy!
