This Hasselback Butternut Squash is an easy butternut squash recipe with a handful of ingredients, little hands on time, and results in a striking side dish.
I originally made this Hasselback Roasted Butternut Squash recipe as a side dish for a photoshoot I completed for this Instant Pot Turkey recipe, and I recieved so many inquiries on where the recipe was that I knew I had to share this easy butternut squash recipe.
Containing only 5 ingredients, including salt and pepper, this Butternut Squash recipe is perfect for the holiday season, including an easy make ahead side dish.
How to hasselback butternut squash?
I use old delivery chopsticks and line them alongside the long edge of the squash. I then slice down into the squash – the chopsticks prevent the knife from cutting all the way through, thus leaving a thin layer on the flat side of the squash intact.
Once the slices have been made, add a sage leaf every 2-4 slices for an uneven effect. The squash and sage leaves are then rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Before using the hasselback technique, here is how I peel a butternut squash.
How to peel butternut squash:
To peel a butternut squash, I generally like to keep the stem on so I have something to hold onto as I find my hands get really itchy after handling butternut squash with the skin removed. I use a vegetable peeler as it takes off less flesh that using a knife. I swipe the vegetable peeler in a downwards motion (away from my hand) to remove the peel and rotate until done. Depending upon the size of the squash, I usually peel the bottom half first and then the top.
Once the peel is removed, I trim off the bottom and the top (and as per the photos in this post, sometimes I leave the tops on) and then cut the butternut squash vertically in half so the seeds and pulp are easy to remove. Pro-tip: use a grapefruit spoon to remove pulp and flesh in no time flat thanks to the jagged sharpe edges.
Why go through the trouble the whole hasselback technique? The slices end up creating a fan like aspect to the top of squash. The slices also allow for all the sage flavouring to seep into the squash and create a really great flavour profile.
Are the pomegranate seeds mandatory? Nope. But they do add some pop to the dish from an aesthetic point of view and I like their crunch as well.
These Hasselback Butternut Squashes are an easy butternut squash recipe with a handful of ingredients, little hands on time, and results in a striking side dish.
- 1 mediunm (about 2 lbs / 900 gr) butternut squash
- 10-15 leaves sage, varying sizes
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
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Preheat oven to 400° F.
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Hasselback* squash and place sage leaves into the partway slices of squash (placing a leaf every 2-4 spots, leaving some slices empty).
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Rub squash and sage with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender (prick with a sharp knife to see if the flesh gives).
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Remove from oven and scatter with pomegranate seeds if desired.
* see full instructions and photos in post above.
Enjoy! xo
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