This roasted Butternut Squash with Za’atar and Honey is such a treat for the taste buds. I love serving this side dish during Fall season and sometimes as a side for Thanksgiving too.
You can choose to peel and cut a butternut squash from scratch. That’s the cheapest method but it can be a bit cumbersome. I do it occasionally as I love to cook with butternut squash.
But in the past couple of years, my local Costco sells cut, fresh butternut squash in the refrigerated section and I couldn’t be happier. I can use those golden chunks in soups, roasted or even in salads.
Some of my other Butternut Squash recipes include: Leeks Soup with Butternut Squash, Butternut Squash Salad with Cranberries, Shell Pasta in Butternut Squash Sauce, Red Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash etc.
Ingredients
Well, this is a very simple list of ingredients. I tend to use what I have available in terms of herbs or seasonings so the recipe is very forgiving and you can adjust to your taste.
- Butternut Squash – about 2 lbs butternut squash cut in cube shapes.
- Olive Oil – I use extra virgin olive oil
- Honey – you can use maple syrup instead. Both help caramelize the exterior of the butternut squash.
- Za’atar – I love za’atar spice to
- Sea Salt – sea salt is the salt I love to use in most of my cooking, you can swap for Kosher salt or other types of salt, just adjust for taste accordingly.
- Black Pepper – you won’t regret using freshly grated back pepper.
- Fresh thyme or parsley for garnish – a little fresh herbs in the end mke
How to roast butternut squash?
I start by cutting butternut squash in bite size pieces, cube shaped. I only season with freshly grated black pepper to start with and place the butternut squash on a medium mixing glass bowl.
Then I prepare the marinade. I add extra virgin olive oil, honey, za’atar and sea salt on a mason jar. Cover the jar and shake to incorporate or use a spoon to mix well since honey will sink to the bottom.
Pour the marinate over the butternut squash, mix well and set aside. You want all the pieces of the squash to be coated with the marinade.
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F (about 200 degrees C). Pour the content of the mixing bowl to a baking dish. Once finished pre-heating, roast for about 25 minutes. If you like a crisp exterior, you can broil for 2-3 minutes at the end.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the butternut squash from baking dish and place on a serving dish. If you leave the squash in the baking dish, it might get soggy. Garnish with fresh thyme or fresh parsley. Serve warm:).
Sonila’s Tips and Notes
Here are some additional tips for this recipe.
- Use a shallow dish for a more crisp exterior on butternut squash or a deep dish for a softer squash.
- You can replace honey with maple syrup.
- You can add other ingredients for added flavor like garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and dry herbs to your taste.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Za’atar and Honey
Equipment
- 1 mason jar
- 1 mixing spoon
- 1 Porcelain baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 lbs butternut squash
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp za'atar
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme or parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut butternut squash in bite size cube shaped pieces, add to the mixing bowl. Season with freshly grated black pepper.
- Pour olive oil and honey in a mason jar. Add za'atar and sea salt. Mix well with a spoon or shake the jar to incorporate the marinade.
- Pour marinade over butternut squash, mix well to coat all pieces then add everything to the baking dish. Roast for about 25 minutes until butternut squash is easily pierced with a fork.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove butternut squash from the baking dish onto a serving platter. This will prevent the squash from getting soggy.
- Garnish with fresh thyme or fresh flat leaf parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Prep time will vary vastly if you buy the pre-cut butternut squash vs the whole one you peel and clean yourself.
- If you use frozen butternut squash you’ll have to do some testing based on the brand and the size of the butternut squash you’re buying. I’ve noticed a large variation in roasting time for the frozen ones. So that’s why I prefer freshly cut butternut squash.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
If you would like to save this recipe for later, please save the below picture to your boards in Pinterest. Let me know in comment if you have any questions or feedback. Thank you for reading my blog:).
Additional Side Dishes for Fall or Thanksgiving
Feel free to check out some of my other side dish recipes.
- Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary and Sage
- Sauteed Broccolini with Almonds
- Roasted Acorn Squash
- Mediterranean Potato Salad
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
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