Name: Smashed Butternut Squash with Sage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 butternut squash, large; 4 tbsp butter, divided; 1/2 onion, diced; 8 sage leaves, fresh; 1 lemon, juiced; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; salt, to taste; pepper, to taste

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Smashed Butternut Squash with Sage is an easy side dish with a surprise twist. Roasted and smashed with the addition of sage and lemon, brings this winter vegetable out of the cold and right into spring.

In my 20s, when I bought my first house, I would get home from work and watch hours of cooking shows. My girlfriends would be watching Sex and the City and I’d be watching Anthony Sedlak, Rob Rainford and Chuck Hughes on the Canadian Food Network. It’s here that I came across this recipe for Smashed Butternut Squash with Sage. I had been watching an episode of the Main and Anthony Sedlak was making some sort of chicken and a few other things, but what stood out was the butternut squash. It was vibrant and the edges carmelized when he seared it. The camera zoomed in on the butter foaming and the sage snapping in the pan.

I had never tried butternut squash before, not that I could remember. And I certainly hadn’t made it by myself. But I was intrigued. My parents had invited me over for a meal and I offered to make a side dish with this Smashed Butternut Squash with Sage in mind.

Armed with the ingredients, I showed up at my parents house ready to cook. The original recipe was very good. It instantly become a favourite for me. I’ve since tweaked it a bit and it’s delicious! It’s such a nice dish to serve alongside roasted chicken or pork tenderloin.

How to Make Smashed Butternut Squash with Sage

Peel your butternut squash and cut into about 1″ chunks. Sear the chunks over medium-high heat in a cast-iron or other oven safe pan. Cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Throw the pan into the oven and roast the squash until nice and tender, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the roasted squash to a bowl and set the pan back on the stove top and add in the butter, onions, sage and garlic and cook over high heat until butter starts to foam and sage is crackling. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour the lemon, sage and garlic sauce over the butternut squash and smash everything together, letting the flavours combine. I pull out the sage leaves before serving, but it’s not necessary.

I always associate winter squash with heavier dishes, but Smashed Butternut Squash with Sage has a nice light spring feel to it. A pop of bright lemon flavour, on the first bite will, definitely be a surprise. This dish is so versatile, serve it for an easy family meal or up the ante at a fancy holiday feast. It looks impressive and tastes fantastic. I’m sure it’ll be a hit!

If you love Smashed Butternut Squash with Sage, check out these other delicious recipes, I’m sure they’ll hit the spot:

If you get a chance to make this or any other recipe on the blog and want to share. Please feel free to tag @candyjarchronicles or use #candyjarchronicles on Instagram, so I can see your post. I’d love to see what you’re cooking in your kitchen!

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Smashed Butternut Squash with Sage

In my notebook, where I keep all the best recipes, this is titled Awesome Butternut Squash with the caption best dish followed by three exclamation points. This dish is exactly that. Quick pan seared butternut squash is then roasted and smashed with a lemon, sage sauce. It’s a side dish sensation!

Course Side Dish

Keyword butternut squash, fresh sage, roasted

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil
1 butternut squash, large
4 tbsp butter, divided
1/2 onion, diced
8 sage leaves, fresh
1 lemon, juiced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat oil in an oven-safe pan. Add butternut squash and cook for five minutes over medium-high heat until the squash starts to brown. Add two tablespoons of butter and stir and flip the squash so all sides can brown and cook an additional five minutes.
Place pan in preheated oven and roast the butternut squash until tender about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and scoop into a bowl.
In the hot pan, melt the remaining butter and toss in the onions, sage and garlic until the sage stars to crackle and the butter is foaming. Pour in the lemon juice and stir.
Immediately pour sauce over the butternut squash and stir and smash the squash to marry all the flavours together. Remove the sage leaves before serving, if you prefer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.