Roasted Winter Squash with Vanilla Bean Brown Butter
After the success of the soup I posted last week —Butternut Squash & Vanilla Bean— (thank you everyone who messaged me on Instagram with photos of your soup!) I thought I would stick with the same flavor profile and create this simple side dish. I absolutely love how fragrant the butter turned out and when mixed with sweet winter squash and earthy sage this side dish is a total home run. Have fun here and feel free to roast some parsnips or sweet potatoes with your winter squash. This is a great recipe to whip up to accompany grilled steaks or roasted chicken. It’s even delicious in the morning for breakfast with a little granola sprinkled on top. I’m definitely going to start browning my butter with a vanilla bean pod more often. The flavor is deep, rich and delicious! I hope you all enjoy this easy winter recipe as much as we do. Grab a fork and dig in!
Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm
Roasted Winter Squash with Vanilla Bean Brown Butter
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 a vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 medium sized delicata squash, seeded and sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
- 1 medium sized acorn squash, seeded and sliced into 1/2 inch thick wedges
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8-10 fresh sage leaves
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- drizzle of maple syrup (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat the oven 425F.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat combine the butter, vanilla seeds and pod and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is deeply browned and has a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod.
- On a rimmed baking sheet drizzle the squash with the browned butter and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Toss well and roast in the oven until the squash is lightly browned and tender. About 30 minutes. Toss the squash halfway through cooking.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and fry for about 1 minute per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sage leaves to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- In a small dry skillet over medium heat add the walnuts and toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Shake the pan often and once cool enough to handle finely chop the walnuts.
- Serve the squash with the fried sage, toasted walnuts and drizzle with a touch of maple syrup if desired.
Notes
*You can use any variety of winter squash such as butternut, Kabocha, Red Kuri, or Pumpkin *Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Recipe adapted from Food and Wine Magazine
Loved the recipe idea. I used vanilla extract instead since I used up my last pod and it worked just as well. I also kept using the same pan and added Chard stems, Broccolini and Carrots. Delicious! I did not have sage leaves and left out the walnuts only due to time.
So happy you loved this too. I like your additions as well!