Butternut Squash just happens to be one of my favorite vegetables. It’s hearty enough to be left in the pantry for 2+ weeks, it goes well in many different dishes, and it’s an excellent substitute for sweet potatoes or kabocha. It also just so happens to be an excellent vegetable to roast! Here’s a quick recipe to roast this beautiful veggie into sweet, caramelized goodness.

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash

2 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by cutting your squash in half, separating the thinner top from the gourd-shaped bottom. Then cut, the pieces lengthwise, opening up the squash so you can remove the seeds.

Using a spoon, carefully scoop the seeds out and toss them in the trash(or roast, if you have a good recipe for these).

Next, peel the outside of the squash using a standard vegetable peeler. Make sure you get everything because the skin is tough and bitter.

Cut your squash into bite-sized chunks and put into a bowl. Next, add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix together until the squash are coated evenly.

Spread the squash in a single layer on a cookie sheet. I highly recommend putting foil on the cookie sheet first for easy cleaning. Make sure to spread the squash out, 1/4-1/2 inch of space between the pieces will ensure they brown evenly.

When the oven reaches temperature, put the cookie sheet into the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. I usually check and see if the squash are sufficiently crunchy at 30 minutes. If not, I check again every 5 minutes until they are just the way I like ’em, caramelized and crunchy all over. If you like your squash a little less crunchy, cook for about 25 minutes; that’s when they will be fully cooked but still in the early stages of browning. Please note the squash are fully cooked when a fork can be easily inserted into the middle of a large piece. Serve hot and enjoy! NOMMS!