Easy Sautéed Butternut Squash
This sautéed butternut squash recipe is a great quick and easy side dish to have up your sleeve! It tastes like it's roasted, but no need to turn on the oven. Simply sauté frozen or fresh cubes of butternut squash on your stovetop with warming sweet and savory spices for just 15-20 minutes. This goes with so many dishes! It's perfect either for a midweek meal when you just want more veggies on the plate, or for a special occasion such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. I hope you give it a try today!
Servings: 4 (as a side dish)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound butternut squash (frozen or fresh - ready-cubed and peeled) I find this is roughly around half a butternut squash.
- ½ teaspoon salt or add more to taste at the end
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or add more to taste at the end
- ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice or substitute with nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs Try to choose a mix with rosemary, marjoram, thyme, sage or similar if possible, or use a mix of any dried herbs you have.
- 2 teaspoons butter (optional)
- fresh parsley, coriander or basil to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan on a medium-high heat.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Add the frozen or fresh butternut squash cubes to the pan. Stir briefly with a wooden spoon just until the vegetables are coated in the oil.1 pound butternut squash
- Sprinkle the dried seasonings and herbs all over the butternut squash. Then sauté on a medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the veggies are perfectly tender and caramelized. Bear in mind that smaller cubes of squash (1-2cm) will require less cooking than larger ones (1 inch for instance).½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs, ⅓ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Just before serving, melt the butter over the cooked butternut squash and stir well.2 teaspoons butter
- Serve sprinkled with the fresh herbs, if using.fresh parsley, coriander or basil
Notes
Type of pan: I recommend a very large skillet/frying pan, dutch oven, wok or sauté pan for this recipe. Try not to overcrowd the pan which can result in soggy/not browned butternut squash.
Cooking time: I usually cook the butternut squash for as long as it takes for it to become tender and browned. This takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the cubes.
Variations: Fry a little bacon or chopped chorizo for a few minutes before adding the butternut squash to the pan for a super tasty variation. Try sprinkling a little crumbled feta or goat cheese or blue cheese over the veggies at the end. Add some cubes of apple, toasted nuts, different veggies as well such as onions or brussels sprouts.
Also, feel free to try this same recipe with pumpkin or sweet potato. Sweet potato may take less time to cook.
Serving suggestions: Serve with a chicken main dish such as 5-ingredient lemon feta chicken, or 30-minute chicken and rice. If you have an air fryer, try crispy chicken burgers or this air-fried whole rotisserie chicken.
Meatballs also go well. Try these classic Swedish meatballs (Ikea copycat!).
Leftover ideas: Sprinkle onto a pizza, or grilled cheese sandwich, toss through a salad, or add to a pie, quiche, frittata or omelette.
Nutrition
Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 12119IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg