Sarra Ina Garten’s roasted butternut squash with brown butter and sage is a simple side dish made with sliced butternut squash roasted at 400F (200C) until caramelized, then drizzled with butter browned in a skillet with fresh sage, crushed red pepper flakes, and finished with lemon zest. Four ingredients in the sauce, one vegetable on the pan. It serves 4 and takes about 35 minutes.
This recipe comes from Modern Comfort Food, where Ina adapted it from David Tanis’s cookbook Market Cooking. She says “butternut squash is my favorite vegetable and I could make this dish every day” because “it’s somehow both comforting and good for you at the same time.” The combination of brown butter, sage, red pepper flakes, and lemon is what she calls “an amazing combination of flavors,” and once you’ve tried it you’ll understand why she could eat it daily.
Slicing the squash 1/2 inch thick before roasting is the detail that makes the whole dish work. Thin, even slices expose the maximum surface area to the hot sheet pan, so the edges caramelize and crisp while the center turns soft and sweet. Cut them too thick and they steam in their own moisture instead of browning. Cut them unevenly and some pieces burn while others stay pale and bland.
Ina Garten Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Sage
Course: SaucesCuisine: Italian, AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes25
minutes90
kcalOne of the simplest and most rewarding side dishes in Ina’s Modern Comfort Food cookbook. The squash roasts hands-off while you make the brown butter sauce in a small skillet during the last few minutes. Plate the squash, spoon the sauce over, grate lemon zest on top, and dinner is ready.
Ingredients
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2 lb (900g) butternut squash
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2 tablespoons good olive oil
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
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1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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Finely grated lemon zest
Directions
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Roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Peel the butternut squash and halve it lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and slice the squash crosswise 1/2 inch thick. Place on a sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss together and spread the slices in a single layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender.
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Make the brown butter: While the squash roasts, melt the butter in a small (8-inch) sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sage, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, swirling the pan often, until the butter turns light brown and has a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat immediately.
- Serve: Transfer the roasted squash to a serving plate. Gently reheat the brown butter if needed and spoon it over the squash. Lightly grate fresh lemon zest on top, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and serve hot.
FAQs
How do you peel butternut squash without a fight?
Microwave the whole squash for 2 to 3 minutes first. The heat softens the skin just enough to make peeling much easier without cooking the flesh. Let it cool slightly, then use a sharp Y-shaped vegetable peeler or a knife to strip the skin off.
If you skip the microwave, a chef’s knife works better than a peeler on raw squash. Cut the squash in half lengthwise first, scoop out the seeds, then lay each half flat-side down on the cutting board and slice the skin off in strips. The flat base keeps the squash stable so your knife doesn’t slip.
Can you use pre-cut butternut squash from the store?
Pre-cut cubes work in a pinch, but the texture changes. Store-bought cubes are usually cut into 1-inch chunks, which are thicker than Ina’s 1/2-inch slices. Thicker pieces take longer to roast and don’t develop the same crispy caramelized edges that thin slices get from direct contact with the hot sheet pan.
If you use pre-cut, spread them in a single layer and add 5 to 10 minutes to the roasting time. Toss them more frequently so all sides get a chance to brown. The result is still good, just less caramelized than slicing your own.
What other vegetables work with brown butter and sage?
Sweet potato slices roasted the same way pair beautifully because their sweetness matches the nutty butter. Roasted cauliflower florets are another strong match since the browned edges echo the toasted milk solids in the butter.
Ina uses browned butter on her Carrot & Cauliflower Purée in Make It Ahead, where she learned the technique from a restaurant in Paris. The same sauce works spooned over roasted parsnips, sautéed Brussels sprouts, or even a simple bowl of fresh pasta. The combination of nutty butter, earthy sage, and bright lemon zest flatters almost any vegetable with natural sweetness.
How is this different from Ina’s Roasted Butternut Squash Soup?
Her Roasted Butternut Squash Soup from Back to Basics takes roasted squash, purees it with chicken stock, and serves it with curry condiments. It’s a pureed soup that uses the squash as the base for a completely different dish.
This recipe from Modern Comfort Food keeps the squash in whole slices so you get the contrast of crispy caramelized edges with a soft, sweet center. The brown butter is drizzled on top as a finishing sauce, not blended in. One is a first-course soup. The other is a side dish where the squash stays front and center.
Does roasted butternut squash with brown butter store well?
The roasted squash keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheats well in a 375F (190C) oven for 10 minutes. The edges won’t be as crispy as the fresh batch, but the flavor holds up.
Make the brown butter fresh when you reheat because it takes only 3 minutes and tastes dramatically better than reheated sauce. Cold brown butter solidifies and loses its nutty aroma. A fresh batch spooned over the warm squash right before serving gives you that just-cooked flavor every time without much extra effort.
