Smoky Roasted Butternut Squash

To me, fall is all about squashes and roasting things. Last Saturday I bought a butternut squash at Lancaster Central Market.

Let me start out by saying I had an unfortunate experience two years ago with my first attempt working with butternut squash. I wanted to make butternut soup, but the squash disagreed. The soup, to be generous, was vile. There are few things that my husband will not eat, but that dastardly creation went straight down the drain. I shudder at the thought. Anyway. I didn't give up on butternut squash and shortly thereafter I bought another squash. This time, I simply roasted it with some salt, pepper, and a spray of olive oil. It was FANTASTIC! I've been seeing butternut squash ever since. And this is how I got to this recipe: I needed to combine my love of smoked paprika with my love of roasted butternut squash. Mission accomplished! If you have not tried roasted butternut squash, I highly recommend trying it today!

Smoky Roasted B-nut Squash

1 butternut squash

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons pomegranate-infused balsamic vinegar (You could use regular balsamic instead. The pomegranate lends a fruity note.)

¾ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon salt

As much freshly ground black pepper as you like/can handle (I used about ½ teaspoon)

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a glass roasting dish with aluminum foil and set aside.

2. In a large bowl (and I mean large, unless you want to make a mess) mix together all of the ingredients except for the butternut squash. You want to mix those together first so that your squash gets coated evenly with all of the spices.

3. Peel your squash (the best way to do this is with a sharp chef's knife, cut off the bottom of the squash straight and run your knife along the sides) and chop the flesh into about one inch pieces.

4. Add you squash to the bowl and coat evenly with the spice mixture. Transfer to the roasting dish, making sure to spread out the squash.

5. Bake for about 20 minutes, stir it up, and then bake for another 25-30 minutes. You want your squash to be tender and slightly browned around the edges. Serves 3.

I served this with BBQ tofu, but it would make a fitting side dish to pretty much anything. Tomorrow I will be posting what I made with our leftover roasted squash!

Cheers!

-KBF