This version of roasted butternut squash has a delicious sweet and spicy element that adds to the natural nutty flavor of the squash.
Trick to roasting vegetables
The trick to perfectly roasted vegetables is pre-heating your baking sheet and roasting your vegetables under a high heat. Start by place your baking sheet in the oven and set it to pre-heat for 400 degrees.
After you have prepared and seasoning your squash carefully remove your baking sheet from the oven and lightly coat with olive oil. Arrange your seasoned squash on your baking sheet so that they do not overlap.
Roast until your squash it is tender and beginning to caramelized, 25 – 30 minutes with carefully flipping the squash halfway through.
All the ways to use your roasted butternut squash
Roasted butternut squash is a fantastic side dish on its own, but also a lovely addition to so many other dishes.
Some of my favorites, and posts you will see soon, include:
- Fall Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pomegranate Seeds and Maple Dressing
- Tri Color Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash, Cranberries and Feta Cheese
- Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Caramelized Onions
How to cut and prep your butternut squash
Preparing butternut squash can seem a little daunting, but once you figure it out it is really not that scary. The skin can be tough, but to make things easier you can soften it before starting your preparation. Using a fork, poke holes on the outside of your squash and then pop it into the microwave for 2 minutes before starting the peeling process.
If you choose to bypass the softening process you will want to make sure you have a good quality sharp peeler.
Start by cutting off the top and end of your squash and then carefully, with the squash laying flat on your counter top, peel off the skin. Then cut your squash in half width wise and then length wise, giving you 4 pieces.
The wider part of the squash will have seeds and pump which you can remove with a spoon and discard. Once cleaned, continue cutting the squash down until you have equal sized cubes.
Now you are ready to start roasting. Spread your cubed squash in a single layer on your preheated baking sheet. Make sure you leave space in between each cube so they have plenty of room to roast evenly on all sides. This will also ensure they get a nice caramelized crisp around the edges.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Place your baking sheet into your oven and preheat it to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl toss your butternut squash with olive oil then your spices and mix to combine.
- Carefully remove your baking sheet from the oven and lightly coat with the additional olive oil. Arrange your seasoned squash on your baking sheet so that they do not overlap.
- Roast until your squash it is tender and beginning to caramelized, 25 – 30 minutes with carefully flipping the squash halfway through.
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