Roasted Honey-Maple Berbere Butternut Squash

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butternut squashButternut squash has become one of our favorite sides. Although it is considered a fall veggie, I buy it whenever I see it at Costco in ready-to-cook form. I serve this with tilapia and a nice kale salad. 

What sets this squash apart from other recipes is that it is seasoned with Berbere, which I talked about in 5 Favorite Penzey’s Seasonings. Many similar butternut squash recipes call for cayenne pepper, but Berbere is far more interesting. It has a complex and unique flavor that you have to taste to appreciate.

There are 3 keys to making this squash cook properly. First, use two cookie sheets (lined with foil or parchment for easy cleanup) so that the squash pieces don’t touch. This will enable the squash to caramelize on all sides. Second, switch the cookie sheets halfway through baking–tossing squash and putting sheets on different racks to cook evenly. Finally, broil the squash the last few minutes of cooking to get the caramelization.

Cook’s Note: Berbere is very hot and intense. Until you develop a taste for how much you like, use sparingly. The sweetness of the other ingredients does temper the heat a bit in this recipe. If you don’t have Berbere, just substitute with a light touch of cayenne pepper.

Roasted Honey Maple Berbere Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole butternut squash, cut into cubes
  • EVOO (2-4 TB)
  • 2 TB honey
  • 2 TB maple syrup
  • cinnamon
  • sea salt
  • Penzey’s Berbere seasoning

Preparation:

  1. In large bowl, add squash, EVOO, honey and syrup.
  2. Toss until squash is coated.
  3. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon, sea salt, and Penzey’s onto squash.
  4. Toss again; spread squash onto cookie sheets–keeping pieces apart if possible.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes, putting cookie sheets on different levels and switching halfway.
  6. Place under broiler for last few minutes of cooking to caramelize the sugars.

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