Home Cookin’: Easy Roasted Butternut Squash

Simple, yet delicious, roasted butternut squash is a side dish that I’ve been introducing to friends and family members for some time now.  If you enjoy potatoes, or sweet potatoes, you should definitely consider swapping to butternut squash on occasion.  Not only is it flavorful, but it’s also a lot lower in calories than the average potato.  FitSugar.com notes that one cup of butternut squash is 63 calories, while one cup of sweet potatoes is 130 calories.

Nutritional stats aside, butternut squash is a versatile veggie.  From pureeing into a soup, to lightening up breakfast potatoes, perking up a stir-fry, or tossing into a salad, I keep coming up with new ways to leverage my favorite squash.  While I’ll eventually get to sharing all of my incredible squash recipes, I recommend starting simple by roasting the squash with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary.

 

 

 

Easy Roasted Butternut Squash – Serves 4

-1 Butternut squash, about 2 cups, chopped into 1-inch pieces (can also buy the pre-cut variety and chop smaller)
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-Healthy sprinkling of: fresh rosemary, powdered or fresh garlic, freshly crushed black pepper and sea salt
-Cooking spray

 

 

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Chop the butternut squash into one-inch pieces and drop into a bowl.  Pour in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Toss to coat evenly.

Sprinkle in the fresh rosemary, powdered or fresh garlic, freshly crushed black pepper and sea salt.  Toss again to coat evenly.  Carefully spread across the baking sheet.  Add extra rosemary and black pepper to any pieces that don’t look coated.

Bake for 20 minutes.  The end result should be tender, but slightly al dente.  Nutritional stats for four, 1/2 cup servings are included below, according to SparkRecipes.com.

Now, just try and wait until the finished product cools to enjoy! Buon Appetito!

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