Simple delicious roasted butternut squash cubes with garlicky olive oil makes a perfect fall or winter side dish.
Winter squash has taken its prominent place in the market - every colorful variety: pumpkin, carnival, delicata, acorn, hubbard, and butternut (just to name a few). I'm a huge fan of roasting vegetables all fall and winter long, and it's the sudden sight of all that gorgeous colorful squash that gets me pulling out the roasting pans. Butternut squash is a great candidate for roasting.
How to Make Garlicky Roasted Butternut Squash
The First Step: Peel and Cube the Squash
I used to be daunted by the thought of peeling and cutting a butternut squash. I'd always buy it pre-peeled and cut at the store. However once I dove in and tried it myself, I realized it's not that hard to do. I generally cut off the ends first, giving it a stable base. Then I peel it with a regular vegetable peeler.
Standing the squash up on its end makes it easier to cut in half. Once it's halved, you can easily scoop out the seeds and stringy parts with a spoon. Then cut it into whatever size cubes you like 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.
How To Roast Butternut Squash
Toss the squash cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet and pop them in the oven (400ºF) for about a half hour. A little oven magic and the raw squash becomes sweet, nutty and tender.
The delicious finishing touch is garlicky olive oil and a sprinkling of parsley.
This recipe is adapted from a recipe by one of my favorite chefs, Alice Waters, from her Chez Panisse Vegetables Cookbook. She is a world expert on how to cook vegetables deliciously.
Here's the recipe for Garlicky Roasted Butternut Squash. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
PrintGarlicky Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
Simple delicious roasted butternut squash cubes with garlicky olive oil makes a perfect fall or winter side dish.
Adapted from a recipe in Chez Panisse Vegetables
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 5-6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
For The Garlic and Parsley Topping
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (3 medium cloves)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- In a large bowl, toss squash 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.
- While the squash is roasting, heat 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 cooked squash in a large mixing bowl pour 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.
Keywords: roasted squash, roasted butternut squash, oven-roasted squash
Perfect fall meal!!
★★★★★
PERFECT flavors of fall!
You had me at garlic!
I love roasting butternut! It's so compatible with so many different herbs and spices. And perfect with garlic!!
This looks like the ultimate fall dish!
I always have a heck of a time dealing with my butternut squash! Thanks for the tips, and the terrific recipe!
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!
Great tip about the vegetable peeler - this sounds terrific!
What a delicious side dish! Umm!
Simple and delicious! Perfect side dish for both everyday and entertaining!
Butternut squash is one of my favorite things about fall. This is a great way to prepare it!
I love butternut and this looks very tasty - Lisa
This looks AMAZING!
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!
This is so simple, but so good! I love recipes like this; YUMMM!
What a beautiful scene for peeling and chopping butternut squash. It looks like the thing to do on a lovely fall day.