Getting to the Heart of Winter Squash

This simple roasted butternut squash recipe let's the flavor of a winter favorite shine through in all its golden glory.

6 servings (serving size 1 cup cooked squash)

Brighten your meal with vibrant roasted butternut squash. A member of the winter squash family (which includes acorn, spaghetti and delicata squash), this mildly sweet squash is chock full of of vitamins A, B6, C and E.

Winter squash are notorious for their tough exteriors, but don’t let that intimidate you. Follow the step-by-step instructions for preparing a butternut squash, and you may be surprised how easy it is. But if you still feel like you don't have time to do it yourself, check your grocery store for fresh, diced, ready-to-cook butternut squash.

In this recipe, roasting the squash at high heat allows caramelization (the browning of the squash’s natural sugars) to occur, enhancing the mild sweetness. The result is a delicious side dish fit for Thanksgiving dinner or a weeknight meal.

This versatile squash can be prepared sweet or savory. Consider roasting winter squash with apples and cinnamon for a sweet side or toss squash with chili powder and garlic for another savory option. It’s your kitchen — get creative!

Recipe Information

Ingredients
Nutrition

1 large squash or two medium*, alternatively 2 12oz packages of pre-chopped butternut squash
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced (fresh rosemary and sage are great alternatives)
Salt and pepper to taste

Calories	96	Total Fat	2 g
Saturated Fat	0 g	Monounsaturated Fat	1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	0 g	Trans Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	Sodium	8 mg
Potassium	584 mg	Total Carbohydrate	22 g
Dietary Fiber	7 g	Sugars	4 g
Protein	2 g

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. If using a whole squash, check out the gallery below for step-by-step preparation instructions.

Slice off stem and base of squash, revealing the orange flesh and leaving a flat surface.

Fully peeled squash.

Cut your squash into two manageable pieces. Slice in half where the long neck meets the bulbous bottom.

Cut the bulbous portion in half, revealing the seeds. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon, scraping the inside clean. If you enjoy pumpkin seeds, consider roasting the butternut squash seeds using the same method.

Cut both halves lengthwise into 1 inch thick (as close as you can get) sections.

Rotate sections horizontally and cut into 1 inch dice.

Vertically cut the long neck of the squash into 1 inch thick planks. If your neck is extra long cut it into two sections to make it more manageable.

Lay planks flat and cut each one into 1 inch thick strips.

Rotate strips horizontally and cut into 1 inch dice.

3. On a large sheet pan, toss squash pieces with olive oil.

4. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix again spreading the squash pieces over the entire pan. The more room between pieces, the better they will brown.