roasted butternut squash with chile yogurt

Butternut Squash is one of my absolute favorite fall vegetables. It’s like when October hits I just start to crave it more than ever. This recipe is SUCH a winner and originally comes from Williams Sonoma.

The first time I had it was in St. Louis when I was visiting my sister and brother-in-law, Holly and Curtis. They are huge foodies and are always whipping up the most gourmet of recipes. The rest of my family and I always joke about how Holls & Curt are probably raising their own cows in their backyard just with how fancy some of their meals are.

 

Appreciation post for Holly and Curtis and their Sheepadoodle…

BEVERLY!!! <3

Curtis made us this side dish one night and I instantly became o b s e s s e d . The flavors are just so good and I ended up coming back home and just making it as my main dinner for a few nights… it’s that addictive!

I love the recipe as it is, but feel free to tweak it to your liking.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CHILE YOGURT SAUCE

serves 4

This is how Curtis served it. Did I also mention he made perfectly medium-rare Tri Tip with homemade chimichurri? AND we ate on their wedding china. And we drank fancy red wine.

These two know how to entertain.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 large butternut squash, about 3 lbs.

  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil

  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

  • 1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves and stems, plus extra leaves for garnish

  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons pepitas

  • 1 cup non-fat greek yogurt

  • 1 1/2 tsp. sriracha 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat an oven to 425°F.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove and discard the seeds, and then cut into wedges 3/4 inch wide and about 2 3/4 inches long, leaving the skin on. Place in a large bowl with the cinnamon, 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, 3/4 tsp. salt, and a good grind of pepper. Mix well so that the squash is evenly coated.

Arrange the squash, skin side down, in a single layer on 2 baking sheets and roast until soft and starting to color, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the herb paste, combine the cilantro, garlic, the remaining 4 T olive oil and a generous pinch of salt in the bowl of a small food processor. Puree to form a fine paste and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until the outer skin pops open and the seeds become light and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

When you are ready to serve, swirl together the yogurt and sriracha sauce. Arrange the squash wedges on a platter and drizzle the spicy yogurt sauce and then the herb paste over the top (you can also swirl the yogurt sauce and herb paste together, if you like). Scatter the pumpkin seeds on top, followed by the extra cilantro leaves, and serve immediately. 

read original recipe here.

So then of course I came back and made it for myself! I just do big dollops of the yogurt sauce on top as opposed to drizzling it. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite roasted vegetable side dishes. The flavors are so simple but really pack a punch.

What a perfect time of year to whip this up for yourself, or for others! I hope you make it and I hope you love it. A real crowd pleaser!

Amy FieldsComment