With Julie Geary
Butternut squash is technically a fruit that can be boiled, steamed, roasted or puréed (to make a soup or pie). You can also mash it for soups or casseroles. It is for many considered a traditional part of the Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe it is because this fruit is at its' best from fall to mid-winter. It has also become popular as a soup or in a pie, very similar to pumpkin pie. This recipe creates a crisp crust on the outside of the squash pieces but is moist, soft and flavorful on the inside. It is preferable to boiling or steaming the individual squash pieces.Fortunately you can now buy the squash around this time of year with the hardest, time-consuming part of the preparation already done. It comes in bags already peeled, seeded and washed. All you have to do for this recipe is season it with fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper and put it in your already warm oven for about 45 minutes.
Butternut is also often prepared by removing the skin and seeds, which are not usually eaten or cooked. Both the seeds and the skin are edible. (The most popular way to eat the seeds is to set them aside, clean them, and roast in the oven at 275 degrees F. for about 15 minutes. This also works for other squash seeds such pumpkin.) When the entire squash is roasted you can also eat the softened skin. To roast cut the squash in half, removing the seeds, brush with oil and place on a roasting pan cut side down in a 350 degree F. oven for about 45 minutes.
