A great thing to do with Butternut Squash (and all vegetables!) is to simply roast it and then it can be the star of the show in a multitude of dishes. There is no right or wrong way. I roasted half of mine in thin slices with oil and Z’atar, and the other half I chopped into cubes (roughly!) and roasted with olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup – also delicious!
Serve on top of humus, or mashed beans, and top with feta and some toasted nuts and seeds – I highly recommend my very own Toppits!!
NOTE! If you don’t want the hassle of chopping up the Butternut you can wash it, dry it, pierce it a few times with a sharp knife, and then roast it whole in your oven! 180C Fan for about 1.5 hrs. Here’s a great way to eat it from the wonderful Jamie Oliver! https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables/butternut-squashed/
Ingredients (serves 4)
Method
Lets get this gorgeous thing roasted!
For gorgeously cooked butternut squash, start with a high heated oven! Here is what you need to do:
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- Set the oven on high heat at 200 degrees C Fan or 220C non-fan. Arrange a rack in the middle
- You don’t actually have to peel butternut squash – the skin is edible but personally I find it tough and unpleasant to eat, and seeing as the skin on Butternut squash is smooth and thin its actually very easy to peel … just slice off the top and button so you’ve a stable base, stand the squash up and peel with a veg peeler.
- Once peeled slice it in half lengthways – lay out both halves and with a spoon scoop out the seeds and stringy bits from the centre. You can keep these seeds, wash dry and roast them on a low oven with some soy sauce and maple syrup if you like!
- Cut each butternut squash half into thin slices. Turn the butternut squash half on it’s belly (the side with the empty cavity), take your chef’s knife and slice it into 1/2 inch thick slices. Do the same with the other half.
- Arrange the butternut squash slices in one single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet or two. It’s important not to crowd the squash so each slice cooks properly and you can even get some nice caramelisation.
- Brush the top of the squash slices with good extra virgin olive oil. If you want to keep it simple and usable across a range of dishes (maybe you’ll make soup with some / salad with the rest) then just season with salt and black pepper. But alternatively at this stage you could add a tablespoon or 2 of your favourite spice mix – maybe Z’atar or Dukkah for those middle eastern vibes, or fresh or dried thyme, rosemary or sage? Squash also works great with warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg – so have a think about how you’re going to serve it, and rub the chosen spices all over with the oil.
- Bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes or so, then turn the squash slices over and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until tender and browned in parts.
- Once it’s done to your liking the world is your oyster! I love to serve roasted vegetables on a bed of hummus and topped with lime juice, feta, pomegranate seeds and mint … add to this some crunch seeds (why not try my Toppits – cheeky plug!!) and you’ve got a pretty delicious and very nutritious meal. Serve with any protein you like, you could even add a tin of rinsed and dried chickpeas to the tray for the lay 15 minutes for extra protein and fibre!
