Roasted Butternut Squash with a Balsamic Reduction

There are so many things to love about roasting vegetables, you can get so creative with such little effort. It’s a healthy way to add flavour and excitement to your meals, and butternut squash is the perfect Autumn vegetable (well fruit, technically) to use!

Butternut squash is naturally fairly sweet, and it’s very similar to a pumpkin. In fact in Switzerland, there is no separate word to distinguish between pumpkins and butternut squash, the word “Kurbis” is used for all of them. This natural sweetness lends itself perfectly to the sweeter spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. When roasted together, the result is a beautiful aromatic version of an already delicious vegetable. Add a balsamic glaze and oh yeah, that’s a winner.

Something I see very frequently in butternut squash recipes is the instruction to “peel the squash” before roasting it. I actually prefer to leave the skin on when roasting squash. The skin adds some welcome texture to the final product, and you lose all that wonderful variation if you peel it. The skin will caramelize and become soft and sweet in the oven. Trust me on this, if you’re roasting a squash, leave the skin on!

The balsamic glaze is actually the same one I used on these strawberry balsamic cupcakes. It’s a really versatile glaze and it complements the squash perfectly! It adds a sweet, tangy sharpness to the squash which is naturally quite muted and soft in flavour. I think you’re going to absolutely love this recipe, please do let me know in the comments if you try it!

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Roasted Butternut Squash with a Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

1-2 Butternut Squash
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Balsamic Glaze

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Caster Sugar

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

2. Wash the butternut squash to remove any dirt from the skin. Cut the squash in half length ways and scoop out the seeds. Chop the squash into 1 inch thick slices and place in a large bowl.

3. Add the olive oil on top of the squash and toss to coat evenly. Add the spices and toss again so the pieces are coated evenly with spices.

4. Lay the pieces on a baking tray in a single layer and bake for 20-25 minutes until soft.

5. While the squash is in the oven, heat the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan on a low to medium heat, stirring constantly. Take off the heat once the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture has started to thicken a little. It will continue to thicken as it cools so ensure not to over cook it on the heat. Transfer into a small bowl to cool while you wait for the squash to finish.

6. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the squash and enjoy! Best served fresh from the oven.

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