Caramelized Butternut Squash
This is the savory, Caramelized Butternut Squash I’ll be making on repeat from late summer through autumn, every year. Use the end product as a delicious side dish just as it is, toss with market greens and your favorite salad fixins, blend with veggie stock and coconut cream for a seasonal soup. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Vegetable peeler or paring knife
- Chef's knife
- Spoon
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden Spoon
- Metal Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cubed butternut squash
- 2 Tablespoons light olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon Denissimo Dark Balsamic vinegar or other aged or reduced balsamic
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425F.
- Rinse and dry the butternut squash. Use a sturdy vegetable peeler or a sharp paring knife to carefully remove the skin. Using a chef’s knife, cut the squash in half, length-wise, and use a metal spoon to remove the seeds and stringy bits.
- Cut the squash into approximate 1-inch cubes and add them to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the olive oil, salt, black pepper, and rosemary to the squash and use your hands to combine. Coat the squash cubes in the oil and spices evenly.
- Pour the squash mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, allowing space between the cubes so they can caramelize in the oven. If they are too crowded, they will steam and create too much moisture and will not brown or caramelize.
- Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to gently flip the squash cubes and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until medium golden brown.
- Drizzle the aged, dark balsamic vinegar over the warm squash and gently stir around on the baking sheet to coat them. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- While I prefer using fresh when possible, using store-prepped butternut squash helps if you’re looking to shorten prep time for this dish.
- If you don’t have aged balsamic vinegar, mix 2 teaspoons of any regular balsamic vinegar with 1 teaspoon of honey. Use this in place of the dark, aged balsamic vinegar.
- This makes a great side dish for holiday meals or can be a hearty component to a salad. Try serving alongside turkey or chicken wings at Thanksgiving dinner. This is also delicious with meatloaf or barbecued ribs.
- Squash varies quite a bit, so substitute the butternut with caution. You can use honeynut squash here as well as sugar pumpkin for a similar result. If you’re looking for a delicata squash recipe, I have you covered!
Nutrition
Calories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 150mgPotassium: 400mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 12055IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!