It may be “thyme” for butternut squash but it’s also a “sage” adventure to tweak the traditional herbs used in cooking butternut squash.
Colorful and uniquely shaped winter squashes abound locally in autumn and hold well throughout the winter season. Bring several home and use as a centerpiece by placing in a favorite bowl right on the kitchen table until ready to roast.
My favorite winter squash, my all-time golden globe award winning, versatile, pairs with many flavors and herbs, substitutable for pumpkin, even combinable with acorn or other squashes to improve their texture and color, even pairable with pasta, is the pale caramel exterior, longer than round shaped, bright orange fleshed and densely textured, more for your money–butternut squash.
The magic only occurs in the cooking. The first dilemma then is how to cut these hard-skinned squashes to roast them? Some chefs use a Chinese clever, a fat bladed knife that is indestructible in the process. Others use a sharp long bladed chef knife. A cooking magazine hint from years ago that is still a valid clue is to prick the squash in a couple of places with the tip of a knife, and place in the microwave for 30 seconds. This should soften the skin so that it can be easier to cut.
In the case of a whole two-pound butternut squash, first cut off both ends and discard. Then cut across the middle around where the bulb end begins to lengthen. The smaller bulb end has the seeds and not as much flesh. Cut this piece in half. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet skin side up. Next, cut the longer end in half lengthwise. Place similarly on the cookie sheet. Bake in 350 oven for approximately 60 minutes.
You won’t miss the marshmallow in this recipe for roasted butternut squash/sweet potato mash with browned sage butter.
Along with the butternut squash, bake several sweet potatoes (about the same total weight as the squash) piercing with a potato nail to speed up baking time. After squash and potatoes have cooled slightly, peel and de-seed. Place in flat-bottomed bowl and roughly mash together with an old-fashioned potato masher. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and about 1/3-cup milk for consistency desired. Place in serving bowl. In a small skillet, melt additional 2 tablespoons butter along with 8-10 fresh chopped sage leaves over medium heat. Sauté about 3 minutes until butter begins to brown. Pour over squash/sweet potato mash.
Enterprising large farms are now offering peeled butternut squash in the produce section of the grocery store. To roast these already peeled pieces of squash, wrap in aluminum foil with a little dried thyme and a drizzle of olive oil. Mash, adding butter, honey, fresh thyme leaves, kosher salt and pepper.
