Butternut Squash with Brown Butter Sage. This is a good one. And very easy to make. Even easier if you pre-bake the squash whole. If you’ve ever cut and peeled a butternut squash you know what I’m talking about, even with the sharpest knife it can be a challenge, my heart races as I try not to lose fingers. So I wondered if people roast it whole, and ya know what, they do. And I did. It’s a much easier process and doesn’t take that much more time. You basically put the whole squash in the oven for about 20 minutes, allow to cool enough to handle and then peel and cube. It was a much calmer experience. I decided to make this recipe since we still have quite a bit of sage in the garden. But it’s reaching the use it or lose it stage. This is a delicious side dish, sweet and flavorful, you can also top it with some feta cheese and/or toasted walnuts.

Pre-baking the squash whole makes it easier to peel and cut

Butternut Squash with Brown Butter Sage

1 butternut squash, medium size
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
15 sage leaves (about 1/4 cup)
olive oil
Feta cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°. Place the whole butternut squash on baking sheet standing upright. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven. When it is cool enough to handle, peel, cut in half, remove seeds and cut into cubes. Place cubes on parchment lined baking sheet, toss with a bit of olive oil and salt, then bake for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside. In a sauté pan melt the butter, add the sage leaves and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter browns and sage leaves have curled a bit. ( I over cooked my sage a bit but it still tasted great). In a large bowl toss the squash and brown butter mixture together. Serve warm, can be topped with feta cheese or toasted nuts.