I’ve always loved the sweetness of butternut squash, but never quite found the right recipe to make it frequently. Recently I picked up the Spiced book by America’s Test Kitchen from the library and when Deniz and I realized we had a leftover squash from Halloween (dressed up as Count Squashula) and all the ingredients for the squash recipe in the book, we decided to try it one as a fun late evening activity. Boy was I surprised about the result! The dish was perfectly balanced. The roasting produced a sweet slightly crispy caramel cubes with a soft spicy interior. The sweetness perfectly counterbalanced the slight tanginess. I’d make this again and again.
Butternut Squash with Spiced Butter
Perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
Marinade Ingredients
- 3 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 t salt
- 1 t black pepper
- 1 t cumin, ground
- 1 t ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Drizzle Ingredients
- 2 T butter, salted
- 1 T honey
- 1/4 t thyme, dried
- 1 t lemon juice
- 1/4 t salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
- Prepare squash as described in the Ingredients list.
- Combine Marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add squash and mix to coat well.
- Spread the marinated squash evenly onto the parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The squash cubes shoudl be browned and slightly crispy on the bottom and soft in the top and middle.
- While the squash is roasting, mix the Drizzle ingredients in a small microwavable bowl. Melt in the microwave, about 30 seconds.
- Combine the roasted marinated squash and the drizzle ingredients in the large bowl and mix gently to combine.
- Serve.
