Hassleback Butternut Squash with Maple Brown Butter & Toasted Walnuts

This Hasselback Butternut Squash with Maple Brown Butter and Toasted Walnuts is a fun and easy way to change up your squash game! It’s a great side dish for all your fall meals! It’s also a beautiful dish to use as your holiday centerpiece or side dish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

• This easy recipe is full of delicious and comforting fall flavors.
• It’s also a visually stunning side dish that can serve as a main dish for your holiday meal.
• The maple brown butter topping is the most delicious finishing touch to this tasty dish!

Ingredients 

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this fall-inspired recipe. All of these ingredients are easy to find at your local store.

• butternut squash
• olive oil
• vegan butter, softened
• organic brown sugar
• garlic cloves, minced
• lemon zest
• ground cinnamon
• ground nutmeg
• salt & pepper, to taste

Garnish

• raw walnuts pieces, lightly roasted
• fresh sage leaves
• olive oil
• flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• vegan feta cheese, crumbled
• pomegranate arils

Equipment 

You only need a few kitchen tools to help you make this delicious squash recipe. You probably already have most of these things in your kitchen!

• sharp knife and cutting board
• baking dish
• parchment paper or silicone baking mat
• wooden spoon or chopsticks
• small pot or skillet

How to Make 

While making this Hasselback butternut squash recipe takes a little bit of effort it’s totally worth it. This roasted squash turns out tender with a crispy top. The flavor is out of this world amazing!

1. Preheat oven to 425F (218C).
2. Roast the butternut squash. Line a large rectangular baking dish with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Place the prepared butternut squash halves, cut side down. Brush the surface with olive oil then sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and returning to the oven (see step 4).
3. Prepare butter. Into a small bowl, add softened vegan butter, brown sugar, minced garlic, lemon zest, ground cinnamon and nutmeg, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. 
4. Slice the butternut squash: Place slightly cooled butternut squash half on a cutting board, and place a wooden spoon or wooden chopsticks (see notes) on either side of the butternut squash. Thinly slice butternut squash crossways (Hasselback style), then carefully transfer them back to the baking dish. Repeat this step with the second butternut squash half.
5. Smoother with Spiced Butter: Spread the spiced sweet butter over the butternut squash halves, ensuring to get plenty between the slices.
6. Continue roasting butternut squash: Return butternut squash to the oven and roast for a further 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a serving plate.
7. Crispy Sage: Into a small pot heat olive oil until starting to bubble (test by dropping one sage leaf into the pot of oil). Add sage leaves and cook until crispy, about 1-2 minutes, Remove and place onto a paper towel.
8. Garnish butternut squash: Sprinkle the roasted butternut squash with vegan feta cheese crumbles, roasted walnut pieces, parsley, pomegranate arils, and crispy sage leaves. Serve immediately.

Storage

This delicious Hasselback butternut squash recipe can be made up to two days in advance if you need to save a little room in your oven. Reheat it in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes wrapped in full.

If you are preparing this squash ahead, do not garnish it until you are ready to serve. Otherwise, your garnishes may get soggy.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up two days. However, your sage will no longer be crispy after being reheated.

Pro Tips 

Here are a few tips to ensure that this recipe turns out perfectly for you every time you make it.

• Roasted walnuts: Heat a skillet over medium heat, then add walnuts. Pan-roast the walnuts for 3-4 minutes until getting a little toasty golden all over. Remove walnuts from the skillet and set aside to cool. 
• Hasselback style slicing: Placing a wooden spoon or wooden chopsticks on either side of the butternut squash will help stop the knife from cutting the whole way through the butternut squash. You want to cut the butternut squash around 3/4 of the way through.
• Don’t skip the step of using the wooden spoon or chopsticks this prevents you from slicing the squash all the way through.
• If you are out of brown sugar, you can use maple syrup instead. It will provide a rich sweetness that is crave-able.
• I like to use the Trader Joe’s or Violife Vegan Feta cheese. I find that it has the best flavor.

FAQs

Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.

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