Savory Roasted Butternut Squash

Hi, my name is Kate (“Hi, Kate!”) and one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to stop losing my curry paste. Because I’ll be all set to make and photograph a delicious soup for y’all and I will not be able to find my curry paste. And it will not be the first time. And the REALLY sad thing is that I have more than one jar of it (I think…) and I can’t find any of them.

But never fear, I still have one of my favorite side dishes! I love it because it comes together in about 2 minutes (well, 2 minutes if you’re using pre-peeled, pre-seeded, pre-cubed butternut squash, which I do out of convenience and also because I have a weird skin allergy to the skins, guts, and seeds of many gourds), it cooks up while you’re making the rest of dinner, and then clean-up is a breeze because you just toss the aluminum foil.

I’ve never been crazy about squash with things like sugar and cinnamon–I like mine savory. So for this recipe, I use 24 ounces of butternut squash, a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, ground cumin, dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, and a couple of pinches of cayenne, which is enough to give it a nice, mild, pleasant heat, but isn’t burny in any way. If you like the burn, feel free to add a little more.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and the spices.

Place the squash on the prepared baking sheet and then drizzle with the olive oil mixture. Use your hands to toss to combine. Spread the squash evenly on the baking sheet

and bake until desired doneness is reached–if you like it tender and squash-y, 25-30 minutes should do it. If you prefer a deeper flavor and a some pieces with crispier, edges, bake for 35-40 minutes, tossing with a spatula about halfway through. Serve immediately. For 6 servings, this clocks in at…wait for it…65 calories and about 2.5 grams of fat and is 1 Weight Watchers Point. Woo-freaking-hoo! 🙂

Savory Roasted Butternut Squash

5 from 1 vote
A flavorful side dish to go with just about anything!
Servings0

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds peeled seeded, and cubed butternut squash (many grocery stores have 12-ounce packages of fresh, ready-to-cook butternut squash in the produce aisles)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 pinches cayenne pepper more if you’d like it spicier
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and the spices. Place the squash on the prepared baking sheet and then drizzle with the olive oil mixture. Use your hands to toss to combine. Spread the squash evenly on the baking sheet and bake until desired doneness is reached–if you like it tender and squash-y, 25-30 minutes should do it. If you prefer a deeper flavor and a some pieces with crispier, edges, bake for 35-40 minutes, tossing with a spatula about halfway through. Serve immediately.

Notes

Nutritional Information

  • Calories: 65.2
  • Fat: 2.4
  • Carbs: 11.9
  • Fiber: 3.3
  • Protein: 1
  • Weight Watchers Points Plus: 1

Nutrition

Serving: 6g
Author: Our Best Bites
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Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite Recipes, Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Cooking, The Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  1. Made this yesterday and it was delicious. Two of us ate nearly all of it for dinner and wished there was more. Next time I will double it. Thanks for a savory squash recipe. I’m not a fan of sweet vegetable recipes in general, and especially not squash.

  2. Hi Kate!
    I know exactly what you mean. I always think that I have a jar of red curry paste, but then I can never find it. So I go and buy another one, and then the vicious cycle starts again. There are actually several things in my kitchen I think I have but I can never find. Maybe one day they will turn up! Butternut squash recipe sounds great!
    -B

  3. Made this tonight and really enjoyed it! Although I wish I had sprayed the foil before baking; there wasn’t enough oil to keep the squash from sticking.

  4. Absolutely delish — even my ‘no cooked veggies’ son liked it. I added carrots the second time I made the recipe. I think it would work well with any root veggie.

  5. I made this last night. LOVED the flavors, will be making this OFTEN. I find chopping a butternut squash therapeutic for some reason!

  6. I love butternut squash in a completely unhealthy way. I usually just eat it plain with butter and salt, though. Maybe it’s time I dress it up! Great idea!

  7. My 5 year old daughter has the same weird skin allergy! She can’t scoop the guts out of her pumpkin either 🙂

  8. I love the savory squash too. I thought squash was gross until I had it cooked without sugar and LOVE it. Can you really buy pre-peeled, pre-seeded, pre-cubed butternut squash? I have never seen it, but the work this would take to prepare is definitely a draw back for me. If it really exists, where did you find it? Thanks for your awesome recipes!

    1. Okay, missed the message about where you find in your grocery store. I’ve never seen it this way, but will make a quest to search it out in my area. Thanks again!

    2. Okay, just saw where you posted about finding it in your grocery store. I guess I skimmed too quickly the first time. It is my new quest to find this in my town. Thanks again!

  9. This exposes my complete ignorance of anything Squash-related, but are these kind of like cubed french-fry-substitute-things? Maybe tater tots? I’ve never had squash before really and I’d like to try this, but I’m afraid I’ll make a big batch and not like it.

    1. A little bit–the idea is the same. Squash is squishier–it’s not as starchy, so it’s not going to get crispy like potatoes. Squash is kind of a love it or hate it kind of veggie, so I can’t make any promises, haha! 🙂

    2. I had never had squash either, but I made this last night because it sounded so delicious. It tastes just like their baked sweet potato fries.

  10. I tried this exact recipe last night using yams instead of squash and it was so delicious! Thanks for doing healthy recipes!

  11. Ok, If I didn’t super love your site before (I did), I love it even more now! I have made dozens of your recipes, and I’ve never been disappointed. And your addition of the WW Points+ on this is great!

  12. Looks so yummy! I’m also not big on sweet butternut squash. Your blend of spices sounds delicious!

  13. Please don’t get me wrong when I say this, as I am a huge fan of the blog and you girls, but are you crazy? You are ingesting a food that you have a known skin allergy to? I bet your tummy gets upset when eating this. As a health pro in the allergy biz, please hear me when I tell you that continued exposure to the item will make your allergy worse over time, and quite possibly dangerous. If your skin doesn’t like it, certainly do not ingest it!

  14. I love it when you include WW points! Thanks for the great recipe, I’m hooked on butternut squash.

  15. Aren’t those 4 tablespoon Oxo measuring cups the handiest things ever? Love them. This looks super yummy.

    1. JULI!!! Hi! 🙂

      And yes, I love them! I just got the oxo measuring beakers and I can’t wait to try them out. 🙂

  16. I’m with ya on the allergy thing! No one ever knows what I’m talking about when I tell them that carving pumpkins makes my hands burn. This looks delish!

  17. Kate~ I have a weird allergy to the skin of butternut squash too! Does it seem to such every bit of moisture from your hands and make the crack? Strangely I can still eat them! Thanks for the great recipe!

  18. You must have been reading my mind! I was trying to figure out what to do with this squash hiding in my pantry! thank you!!

  19. How do you think this would be with banana squash? I have several left from last fall’s garden 🙂

  20. Your curry paste is hiding out with your Christmas candy and my driver’s license. I wish they’d all quit teasing us and show up again.

  21. I love all your recipes and have made many of them. The fact that you are including the points+ is fabulous. Thanks for all you do!

  22. You know what I like about you girls? You make awesome things – lighter, but not so light it’s gross. You make real food for real people in real situations! – LOVE IT.

    BTW: it’s weight watchers “points plus” or you can say “points+” (they get a little persnickity about this since the ‘old’ program was just points – and yes I’m a WW lifer though I have not reached lifetime – ha!).