Maple Roasted Butternut Squash w/ Pancetta

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash. I know we all have no idea what we are doing for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving or really any holiday this year, but I personally will be having as many festive dinners as possible. And this is a side dish you should be grabbing for. It is easy, simple, only lightly sweet with garlic & pancetta. Pretty much if there is garlic or pancetta in something, it’s a wrap for me and I need to try it. Preparation is extremely simple so let’s get to it.

Cutting Butternut Squash

If you are stumped on how to cut butternut squash, don’t fret. It is very easy. Cut the bulbous bottom off. Peel the butternut squash using any vegetable peeler. Trim the ends. Cut everything in half vertically. Scoop the seeds out of the bulbous section. Discard the peels and seeds. Chop the butternut squash pieces into cubes. That simple!

The reason I love preheating the baking sheets inside of the oven is to ensure a crispy edge. Carefully dumping the squash directly onto a hot pan adds immediate heat to one side. We won’t touch the squash for the first thirty minutes leaving us a cooked squash with a delicious caramelized edge.

Maple Glaze

Mince your garlic & add it to the salty, oily bowl that you tossed your butternut squash in. Whisk in maple syrup. Making this glaze is super easy because you don’t really have to do any work. The oven is doing it all! Drizzle over your butternut squash a little more than halfway through cooking, and bake again. This will add to the caramelization, cook the garlic and be totally delicious.

If you are looking for some more Thanksgiving recipes, my Homemade Candied Yams are a main staple at our Thanksgiving table and this Chocolate Pecan Pie with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream will change your life honestly!

If you make this Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with pancetta, please let me know in the comments or DM me on Instagram @quartersoulcrisis.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash w. Pancetta

5 from 17 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 0

Equipment

• 2 large cookie sheets

Ingredients

  

• 3 lbs butternut squash peeled & chopped into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes
• 3 tbs olive oil
• kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 oz cubed pancetta
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbs fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

 

• Prep Butternut Squash & Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 425°F with 2 baking sheets inside the oven.

  Prepare butternut squash & cut into cubes*. In a large bowl, toss squash cubes with olive oil, a big pinch kosher salt & pepper. Add uncooked pancetta cubes & toss again.
• Roast Butternut Squash: When oven is preheated, carefully remove baking sheets. Place half butternut squash on one baking sheet and half on the other. Place back in oven. Keep bowl out & set aside. Roast for 20 minutes without tossing. You may want to rotate the top baking sheet to the bottom rack & bottom baking sheet to top rack about halfway through to ensure even roasting.
• Maple Garlic: While squash is roasting, mince garlic and toss it in the oily/salty bowl with 1/4 cup maple syrup & thyme leaves. Toss and let sit. Remove the squash/pancetta after 20 minutes and drizzle the maple garlic mixture over each baking sheet (using 1/2 the mixture for one sheet & 1/2 for the other). Roast for 15-20 more minutes until squash & pancetta are cooked through & is a bit crispy but tender. Serve warm.

Home Cook’s Notes

Home Cook’s Tips: 

• Prepare Squash & Cut into Cubes by peeling it with a vegetable peeler. Next, cut off the bottom bulbous half. Cut the round bottom part in half longways , scoop out seeds & discard. Cut the longer neck part in half longways. Cut both halves into 1/2 inch cubes. this is the best tutorial 
• Make squash up to 24 hours in advance  & warm through at 350 for 15-20 minutes, tossing occasionally. It will lose some of the crisp-ness, but is perfect made ahead.
• You can buy pre-cubed butternut squash. You can also pre-cube your butternut squash up to 2 days before roasting.