charred winter squash w/ honey brown butter pecans & salty lemony yogurt
this is my absolute favorite way to eat winter squash. we eat some version of this almost weekly. it’s a great basics recipe that you can put your own spin on in an infinite number of ways. don’t like squash? use any color roasted sweet potato instead.
my goal for this recipe is that you can use each of these elements in a number of ways and play with them in future dishes. we make some kind of garlicky yogurt to use as a base for all kinds of things. i can’t think of a single vegetable that wouldn’t taste absolutely delicious on top of some yummy savory yogurt.
same thing with the toasty, saucy pecans. you can add herbs to the pecans or switch up the nut entirely and use walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc. instead. add a splash of vinegar or squeeze of citrus to the nuts at the end for something more dressing like and acidic. leave out the honey for a more savory version. you can spoon a version of this on top of almost anything. vegetables of any kind (from winter squash to broccoli or cauliflower), used on a salad as part of a dressing, or spooned in top of some fruit like peaches or cantaloupe (imy summer produce).
ingredients
for the squash
1 lb honey nut squash or other winter squash variety, skinned and seeds removed, cut into 1/2 in thick strips
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
for the lemony yogurt
1 cup yogurt
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
for the honey brown butter pecans
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon honey
salt to taste
instructions
preheat oven to 425. on a large sheet pan toss your squash pieces in 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tsp salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, flipping about halfway through. you want them to be a bit charred in places and fork tender.
remember all ovens vary in temp, so just take a peek at your veg every now and then to make sure they are charring but not burning.while squash roasts make your yogurt sauce. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt, and 1 clove of grated garlic to a bowl. mix to combine and taste for salt and acid. add more lemon juice or salt to taste.
add the butter, pecans, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small frying pan and set over medium heat. season with a bit of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter starts to foam and brown and the pecans look golden and toasted through. remove from heat and stir in 1 heaping teaspoon of honey. let cool a bit and taste for salt and honey. add more of either if needed.
to assemble and serve: smear the yogurt onto the bottom of a plate or shallow serving bowl, spreading it around to coat the surface area. place your roasted squash on top of the yogurt and then drizzle the honey pecans all over the top of the squash. make sure and spoon all of the remaining honey butter left over in the pan on top as well.
finish with flakey sea salt.
