Spicy Sesame Butternut Squash

Orange juice intensifies the natural sweetness of the squash as it roasts, while the red chili flakes balance it out with a bit of spice.

When at all possible, use fresh-squeezed orange juice. There is no comparison in taste with the juice that comes straight from the orange to that poured from a carton. Juice companies remove the oxygen (and therefor some of the natural flavors) during their processing to increase shelf life.

Add in all the spices and toss with the melted butter. The butter will slowly start to solidify as you stir it with the cold squash – coating it perfectly.

Lay the pieces out in a single layer, and scrape any butter mixture from the bowl and spread over the pieces. You don’t want to waste any of that tasty flavor!

Spicy Sesame Butternut Squash

Marla Hingley

Orange juice intensifies the sweetness of the squash as it roasts.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ cup butter or margarine melted
• 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1-2 tsp dried red chili flakes
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 large butternut squash halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into ½” slices
• 2 Tbsp - ¼ cup sesame seeds to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl whisk together the first 6 ingredients, then add in the squash.
• Toss well to fully coat (as you’re tossing, the melted butter should harden slightly and stick nicely to the squash).
• Place pieces in a single layer on 2 foil lined baking sheets. Scrape any butter mixture from bowl onto pieces, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and half of the sesame seeds.
• Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, remove from oven and flip each piece over. Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds then continue baking until soft, about 10-15 more minutes. Broil for the last 5 minutes to get a golden caramelized finish.

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