Roasted Butternut Squash with Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce and Thyme
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Serves: 4 servings
 
Sweet roasted butternut squash with a nutty, crunchy, browned butter hazelnut sauce. The perfect fall side, and a great addition to any holiday meal!
Ingredients
  • 1 large butternut squash (about 2½ - 3 lbs)
  • 6 TBSP unsalted butter
  • ½ cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped*
  • 2 tsp. Good balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp. Fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F., and adjust the rack to the lowest position.
  2. Using a vegetable peeler or a knife, peel the the butternut squash. Peel away the skin, and the pale layer just beneath the skin, until the entire squash is bright orange. Remove the stem and butt end of the squash, then cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and slice each half into ¾ inch thick half-moons.
  3. Place the sliced squash in a bowl, and toss with 2 TBSP melted butter, a big pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper.
  4. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and place on the lowest rack of the oven. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the side of the squash touching the baking sheet in the back of the oven starts to turn golden brown. Rotate the pan, and bake for another 8-10 minutes, until the pieces that are at the back of the oven start to brown on the side touching the pan. Remove the pan from the oven, flip each piece over, and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until the second side has started to brown and the squash is very tender.
  5. While the squash is roasting, add the remaining 4 TBSP butter to a skillet or saucepan (preferably a light-colored pan so you can see the butter clearly as it browns). Add the chopped hazelnuts, and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring or swirling the pan frequently, until the butter has started to turn golden brown. The time this takes will vary, so keep a close eye on it, and remove from the heat as soon as the butter turns brown. Be careful not to burn it!**
  6. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the balsamic vinegar, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  7. Transfer the roasted squash to a bowl or platter, and pour over the browned butter hazelnut sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
*You can find my tutorial on how to roast and skin hazelnuts,
HERE. UPDATE: Since writing this, I've discovered a new way to skin hazelnuts that's even easier. You can check out the new tutorial, HERE.

**For more detailed instructions on how to brown butter, see my tutorial, HERE.

Recipe inspired by my pumpkin ravioli with hazelnut browned butter sauce (recipe HERE.) and adapted from America's Test Kitchen (find their recipe HERE.)
Recipe by Will Cook For Friends at https://www.willcookforfriends.com/2015/11/roasted-butternut-squash-with-hazelnut-brown-butter-sauce-and-thyme-and-thoughts-on-gratitude.html