Simple Roasted Butternut Squash

This is my favorite way to cook butternut squash! It strikes the perfect balance between ease and taste and showcases the delicious natural flavors. (Plus, I share my secret tip for easy peeling and cutting!)

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If you read my 15 Perfect Fall Foods post, you know that for yearrrrrs I thought I didn’t like butternut squash. I never even tried it because I knew I despised acorn squash, and I assumed they tasted the same.

Yeah… they don’t. Not at all.

Imagine my surprise when I finally tried it a few years ago and discovered I actually like it. No, not just like it. I love it. Enough, in fact, to put it on my list of favorite fall foods.

After my pleasantly surprising discovery, I tried cooking butternut squash several different ways, attempting to find the optimal balance of ease and deliciousness.

And simplicity.

Because my motto with side vegetables is almost always to let their natural goodness shine through as much as possible, enhancing it with spices rather than masking it with sugar, butter, etc.

So, after trying it several different ways — whole, halved, cubed, roasted, crockpot, Instant Pot…. you name it — I settled on my favorite.

MY FAVORITE WAY TO COOK BUTTERNUT SQUASH

This is entirely a personal preference, but I found my favorite method was to peel it, chop it, and roast it.

The easiest method was actually cooking it in two halves. There’s no peeling or chopping required, you just scoop it out of the shell when the cooking is complete.

However… I much prefer the taste and texture of cubed and roasted. I like the way they hold their shape and how they get all delightfully crispy and caramelized on the outside but tender on the inside… Mmmmm.

Therein lay my dilemma. I loved it cubed, but I quickly tired of peeling and chopping.

Then, I learned the secret to quick and easy peeling — poke several holes in the squash, put it in the microwave, and cook for about three minutes. After it cools, it will be much easier to peel and cut!

After learning that little trick, the choice was easy. Cubed and roasted for me, please!

And here’s the super simple way I do it.

What You’ll Need

• Butternut Squash
• Olive Oil
• Sea or Kosher Salt (and any other seasonings you’d like)
• Sheet Pan
• (Optional) Parchment paper or silicone baking mat for easy clean-up

Roasted Butternut Squash Cubes

1. Cut the squash —  Using my secret tip above, separate the round bottom half from the straighter top half and cut it in half to scoop out the seeds. Peel both halves then cut into 1″ cubes.
2. Toss in oil — Drizzle the squash with olive oil and toss to coat.
3. Arrange in the pan — Spread in an even layer.
4. Season — Sprinkle with salt and any other seasonings you’d like (I listed a few ideas below).
5. Roast — 400 degrees for about 30 minutes (give or take — when they’re tender on the inside and caramelized on the outside).

Seasoning Ideas

• Cracked black pepper
• Cinnamon
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne
• Parsley, thyme, rosemary

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