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Home » Recipes » Side Dish

Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe

October 19, 2022 Updated November 29, 2022 by Lisa Goldfinger 18 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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Cubes of roasted butternut squash in a white bowl, topped with parsley garlic oil

If you don't already love butternut squash, this very simple savory roasted butternut squash recipe will win you over. Butternut squash cubes are oven roasted and then tossed with garlicky olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh parsley. A hearty, perfect-for-Fall side dish, that will complement whatever you're cooking, whether it's a simple weeknight dinner or a fancy holiday feast. 

Cubes of roasted butternut squash in a white bowl, topped with parsley garlic oil

Butternut squash is my favorite winter squash. With its vivid orange flesh, smooth, sweet, nutty flavor and versatility, butternut squash is delicious in a wide variety of seasonal dishes.

I love using it for soup, for this rich beef short ribs stew and this light chicken and lentil stew and this Jamaican curry chicken stew, and I love it roasted and stuffed into acorn squash with other vegetables.

Roasted Butternut Squash

One of the simplest and best things to do with butternut squash is to simply cut it into cubes and roast it. It takes about a half hour at 400ºF/200ºC to roast butternut squash cubes to perfection - sweet, tender and caramelized around the edges - delicious.

Most recipes you will find in cookbooks and on the internet will give you this same oven temperature and timing for roasting butternut squash cubes. What makes this recipe different is what happens after the squash is roasted....

A Great Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe

This recipe has two parts. Step one tells you how to roast butternut squash - an easy technique that's worth mastering. Step two tells you how to make an oil, garlic and parsley topping to toss the squash with after it comes out of the oven - simple and delicious.

This recipe comes from chef Alice Waters, adapted from a recipe in her Chez Panisse Vegetables Cookbook. Waters is a renowned expert on cooking fresh, in-season vegetables. Her recipes are healthy, wholesome and never overly sweet (my kind of cooking). I knew if I wanted to find the best savory roasted butternut squash recipe, she would be a great source.

But before we get into how to cook the squash, let's talk about how to peel it and cut it.

How to prepare butternut squash for roasting

I used to be daunted by the thought of peeling and cutting a butternut squash. I would search the stores for pre-peeled, pre-cut squash. However, once I dove in and tried doing it myself, I realized it's actually pretty easy. I have some good tips to share with you that will make the whole process go smoothly. Here's how to do it:

  • First, use a large sharp knife to cut off the ends of the squash. You won't need them, plus cutting them off gives the squash a stable base so you can stand it up and cut it in half more easily.
  • Next, use a standard vegetable peeler to peel off the outer skin. This is surprisingly easy to do considering how hard the skin is.

2 photos showing how to prepare butternut squash: a butternut squash with the end sliced off and a vegetable peeler showing how to peel the skin off

  • Next, stand the squash up with its wider end down on the cutting board and, starting at the top, cut strait down, see-sawing your knife, to slice the squash in half.
  • Once it's halved, you'll see a small cavity filled with strings and seeds. Scrape those out using a tablespoon. You won't need them for this recipe.
  • Finally, cut the squash into cubes for roasting. For this recipe I like large, 1-inch cubes, because the squash roasts up nice and brown in spots, yet it doesn't fall apart or get mushy. To do this, lay a squash half on your cutting board and make 1-inch slices crosswise. Then cut each slice into cubes. (see example below right)

two photos showing how to cut butternut squash, one showing how to stand it up on its sliced end to cut it in half, the other showing how to cube it

Now let's get roasting

Preheat the oven, toss the squash cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, and pop them in the oven. A half hour in the oven and the hard raw squash becomes tender, sweet, nutty and caramelized.

cubes of roasted butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet

While the squash is in the oven you'll have plenty of time to prepare the garlicky topping.

You'll need some olive oil, a tablespoons of finely chopped garlic, and a couple tablespoons of chopped parsley, plus some salt and pepper. To make the topping, heat the oil and the garlic and simmer gently until the garlic is tender. 

4 small glass bowls filled with, parsley, olive oil, chopped garlic, salt and pepper and a black cast iron skillet with sautéd garlic in olive oil

When the squash is roasted, toss it in a bowl with the garlicky oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy! 

cubes of roasted butternut squash in a white bowl, decorated with sprigs of parsley

If you make this roasted butternut squash recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

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Cubes of roasted butternut squash in a white bowl, topped with parsley garlic oil

Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe


★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 5-6 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Simple, delicious roasted butternut squash cubes tossed with garlicky olive oil and parsley makes a perfect fall and winter side dish.

Adapted from a recipe in Chez Panisse Vegetables


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes (8 cups of squash cubes)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper plus more, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (3 medium cloves)
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF/200ºC

  1. In a large bowl, toss squash cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Spread squash out evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Toss and roast for another 10 minutes or so, until squash is lightly browned in spots and cooked through.
  2. While the squash is roasting, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small non-stick skillet, over low heat. Sauté the garlic for a minute or two, until it's soft and fragrant. Be careful not to let it brown. Put the roasted squash cubes in a large mixing bowl and pour the sautéed garlic and oil over it. Sprinkle parsley on top and toss gently. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Roast
  • Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keywords: roasted butternut squash cubes with garlic and parsley

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

This post originally appeared on Panning The Globe on September 21, 2014. It has been refreshed and republished on October 19, 2022 with new photos, more pertinent information, and a new recipe title. The previous title was "Garlicky Roasted Butternut Squash."

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Entertaining, Fall Favorites, North America, Quick and Easy, Side Dish, Thanksgiving Recipes, The United States, vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, roasted vegetables

Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Hollis Ramsey

    October 20, 2022 at 7:22 pm

    Lisa, I love roasted butternut squash, but it doesn’t have to be peeled before roasting. Do you have a particular reason for peeling it? My policy is to never peel a vegetable if the peel is edible. With fruits, it really depends on the reason that the recipe needs a fruit sans peel.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Liz G

    October 19, 2022 at 2:20 pm

    I’ve been making this recipe for years and absolutely love it. So simple and tasty. Just finally leaving you a way overdue rating and comment and a thank you for a great recipe!
    PS I also love your sweet potato recipe with the cranberries! Not too sweet - just perfect. A regular at our Thanksgiving dinner.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Paul

    December 20, 2019 at 2:44 pm

    Perfect fall meal!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Kristina

    October 07, 2015 at 11:12 pm

    PERFECT flavors of fall!

    Reply
  5. Sarah

    September 27, 2014 at 9:37 pm

    You had me at garlic!

    Reply
  6. susan // the wimpy vegetarian

    September 26, 2014 at 1:34 am

    I love roasting butternut! It's so compatible with so many different herbs and spices. And perfect with garlic!!

    Reply
  7. MealDiva

    September 24, 2014 at 9:03 pm

    This looks like the ultimate fall dish!

    Reply
  8. Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

    September 24, 2014 at 7:56 pm

    I always have a heck of a time dealing with my butternut squash! Thanks for the tips, and the terrific recipe!

    Reply
  9. Julie @ Texan New Yorker

    September 24, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    I love all the garlic you used here! Butternut squash is sweet enough, I don't always enjoy adding sweet elements to it, and I often add elements that will purposely detract from the sweetness (in savory dishes anyway). Thanks for posting!

    Reply
  10. Christy @ Confessions of a Culinary Diva

    September 23, 2014 at 9:12 pm

    Great tip about the vegetable peeler - this sounds terrific!

    Reply
  11. Cindys Recipes and Writings

    September 21, 2014 at 10:52 pm

    What a delicious side dish! Umm!

    Reply
  12. Liz

    September 21, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    Simple and delicious! Perfect side dish for both everyday and entertaining!

    Reply
  13. Shaina

    September 21, 2014 at 5:37 pm

    Butternut squash is one of my favorite things about fall. This is a great way to prepare it!

    Reply
  14. Rachel (Rachel's Kitchen NZ)

    September 21, 2014 at 2:59 pm

    I love butternut and this looks very tasty - Lisa

    Reply
  15. Constance J Smith (@FoodieArmyWife)

    September 21, 2014 at 9:24 am

    This looks AMAZING!

    Reply
  16. ahu @ ahueats

    September 21, 2014 at 9:07 am

    Great tips on how to cut the squash! I have to remember to wear gloves whenever I do - I'm one of the lucky folks who gets a rash handling butternut squash!

    Reply
  17. Nichole

    September 21, 2014 at 8:31 am

    This is so simple, but so good! I love recipes like this; YUMMM!

    Reply
  18. Renee

    September 21, 2014 at 7:19 am

    What a beautiful scene for peeling and chopping butternut squash. It looks like the thing to do on a lovely fall day.

    Reply

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