Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
This oven-roasted butternut squash makes a simple side dish for almost any main course, especially in the fall and winter months. It’s soothing, comforting, and delicious.
This roasted or baked butternut squash recipe is a straightforward, easy recipe I learned to make in Germany. The family for whom I was an au pair was focused on clean eating, even though they didn’t know to call it that. Much of the food in their house was grown in their yard or purchased at an organic and biodynamic store.
Going out to eat was a once-a-year event, and nothing (and I do mean nothing) processed ever entered the house.
They didn’t do it because of dieting; it was simply about health and wellbeing. They wanted to raise healthy kids, so they ate healthy. It was as simple as that.
They typically served this with a whole grain and maybe a sausage or other meat. This dish would even be great with some salmon or steak.
I could eat this all by itself with no problem. It makes a great side dish to just about any fall or winter meal and is very filling. The mix of herbs brings out the flavor of the squash.
How To Cut Butternut Squash
1. Peel The Squash
Butternut squash is easiest to peel with a Y-peeler because you can peel in a back-and-forth motion instead of in just one direction. It makes peeling them much easier. Either way, make sure you use a sharp vegetable peeler. Dull blades are not safe blades.
Make sure you peel the white layer just under the skin. You want to see the color of the squash meat. If it looks white-ish, you need to take more off. Leaving on that white layer will give the squash a bitter flavor.
2. Cut The Ends
Cut off just enough of the top and bottom to remove the inedible parts.
3. Cut The Squash In Half
Cut the squash in half lengthwise on a sturdy cutting board and using a sharp chef’s knife.
4. Scoop The Seeds
Scoop out the seed. Taking out the seeds is simplest and cleanest with a cookie scoop, but you can use whatever you have handy.
5. Slice The Squash
Turn the squash, cut side down, and slice into half-inch thick slices. You can bake them this way or take it a step further and “cube” them.
6. Cube The Squash
The Top Half Slices
Cut the slices into half-inch “cubes.” I use that term lightly because the area around the seeds turns out more like triangles than cubes. Just do your best to cut them all about the same size so they cook evenly.
How To Roast Butternut Squash
They get the best “crust” on them if you donotuse parchment. The direct contact with the metal sheet pan does a better job of roasting the squash. Cleanup is easy if you soak the pans before cleaning them.
Easy Healthy Butternut Squash Variations
If this particular blend of spices doesn’t do it for you, there are other variations you can try with roasted butternut squash.
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, toss with the cubed butternut squash, then bake according to the directions below.
Feel free to adjust any measurements to taste.
- Maple Cinnamon Glazed Roasted Butternut Squash
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- A pinch of cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Butternut Squash
- ½ cup melted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Curry Spice Roasted Butternut Squash
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Rosemary and Parmesan Roasted Butternut Squash
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Can I Make Roasted Butternut Squash In An Air Fryer?
You absolutely can. It’s quite good made that way.
Follow the instructions below, but instead of putting the seasoned squash on a baking pan, put a single layer of squash in your air fryer basket.
Note that you will need to make several batches because you will only fit some of the squash in the basket.
Cook at 400 F. for 20 minutes. After that, roast them in 1 to 2-minute intervals if you want them cooked further. Make sure to stir at least once through the cooking process.
What To Serve Roasted Butternut Squash With
While this list is far from all-inclusive, here are a few ideas for what to serve this roasted butternut squash with.
- Grilled Chicken Breast
- Quinoa Salad
- Roast Pork Tenderloin
- Sautéed Kale or Spinach
- Wild Rice Pilaf
- Salmon Fillets
- Mushroom Risotto
- Mixed Greens Salad
- Pasta Dish
- Turkey Roast
About The Ingredients
Butternut squash– Choose a firm squash with good color.
Extra Virgin Olive oil– You can use any oil you prefer. For roasting, good choices are avocado oil or virgin coconut oil.
Garlic granules– You can also use garlic powder. Avoid garlic salt.
Dried marjoram
Dried parsley
Onion granules– You can also use onion powder.
Salt
Ground black pepper
How To Make Roasted Butternut Squash With Delicious Herbs
Preheat your oven to 425 F. Peel, scoop, and cube the butternut squash as instructed above and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
Combine the squash and remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss well to coat the squash in oil and spices.
Transfer the butternut squash cubes to a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets and make sure they are in a single layer.
Stir at least once halfway through the roasting process. Several times is better.
Bake until tender in the center and golden brown, and caramelized on the outsides. (about 35-45 minutes).
Let cool a bit and serve.
How To Store Leftovers
Keep the roasted squash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How To Freeze Roasted Butternut Squash
You can freeze this, but the texture will change slightly. Once you have frozen and thawed this, you’ll want to toss this in with other things such as quinoa salad, rice salad, or a green salad.
How To Reheat Roasted Butternut Squash
This dish reheats well in a microwave, or you can briefly reheat it in the oven at 350 F. until warmed through. I recommend reheating this with a layer of parchment paper on the pan. Keep an eye on it and stir it frequently so you don’t burn the squash.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash Casserole
- Butternut Squash Risotto
- Cinnamon Butternut Squash Fries
SUBSCRIBE
Remember to subscribe to my free newsletter to receive all my latest recipes in your inbox. Click here to sign up!
Roasted Butternut Squash With Herbs
A delicious side dish or even mid-day, healthy snack!
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Side Dish, Vegetables
Cuisine: American, German
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 135kcal
Ingredients
- 4 lb. butternut squash (any size)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. marjoram
- 1 tbsp. parsley
- 1 tbsp. onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste at serving
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 F. Peel, scoop, and cube the butternut squash as instructed above and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
Combine the squash and remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss well to coat the squash in oil and spices.
Transfer the butternut squash cubes to a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets and make sure they are laid out in a single layer.
Stir at least once halfway through the roasting process. Several times is better.
Bake until tender in the center and brown and caramelized on the outsides. (about 35-45 minutes).
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup (approximate) | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 660mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 19337IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg
This recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 10/17/2009.
