Even though it’s 90 degrees here in Sacramento in mid October (are we having weird weather this year or what?) the pumpkins and butternut squash are out in numbers at the market. One of the things I love about winter squash is that you can buy one and then take your time to figure out what to do with it. They last for months as long as you keep them cool and dry. Here’s an easy side dish, perfect for Thanksgiving or any cool weather meal, using butternut squash. The vanilla makes you think you are about to eat something sweet, and in a way you are, as the squash has a natural sweetness, but this really is a savory dish. The combination of walnuts, thyme, ginger, vanilla, and squash may seem weird, but oddly it works.
You can either boil the cubed butternut squash with some bay leaves, or roast them until you get a little browning – in which case omit the bay leaves. Roasting will caramelize the squash a bit, giving a little more flavor, and the squash cubes will hold their shape better. Boiling the squash will yield softer squash and a little flavor from the bay leaves.
Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Vanilla Recipe
We're using butternut squash for this dish, but you could easily use kabocha squash instead, or any firm, easy-to-peel, winter squash. You can either boil or roast the squash, directions are given for both methods.
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds, peeled, seeds removed, flesh cut into 1-inch cubes (see how to cut and peel a butternut squash)
- 3 bay leaves (if boiling the squash)
- Salt
- 1 heaping cup of walnuts (can substitute pecans or pine nuts)
- 2-3 Tbsp butter
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Black pepper to taste
METHOD
1a If roasting Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat the cubed squash with a little vegetable oil and spread out onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with salt and roast until the cubes begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
1b If boiling Put 4 cups of water into a medium-sized pot and add the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Add the squash to the pot. Boil, covered for 10 minutes. Drain.
2 Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and toast the walnuts. Stir frequently or they will burn. Once they they start to brown, and you can smell the aroma of toasted walnuts, remove from heat.
3 Melt the butter in the pan with the walnuts over medium-high heat. Toss the walnuts to coat with butter, then add the squash. Toss them to coat with butter.
4 Add the grated ginger, vanilla extract, black pepper, a little salt and dried thyme and toss once more. Turn off the heat and squeeze some lemon juice over everything. Taste for salt and lemon and add more to taste. If you want this to be a bit more luxurious, mix in another tablespoon of butter or two before serving.