Roasting butternut squash is the simplest way to coax out its natural sweetness, and a heavy shower of Parmesan and fresh herbs turns it into something worth putting on a real platter. This Parmesan roasted butternut squash comes out caramelized at the edges, tender in the middle, and finished with a buttery pecan-herb topping and just enough honey to round it out.
It’s quietly become one of my favorite side dishes for entertaining — the kind of thing that’s mostly gone before the main course makes it to the table.
What You’ll Need
- Butternut squash: one large squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes. Peel it. The skin on winter squash is technically edible but turns tough and chewy in the oven.
- Parmesan: freshly grated, not pre-shredded. Bagged cheese carries anti-caking additives that keep it from melting cleanly onto the squash.
- Pecan, rosemary, and sage: the topping. Walnuts or slivered almonds swap in fine, and thyme can stand in for either herb.
- Honey: a single tablespoon, purely for balance against the salt and Parmesan. Maple syrup works.
What I Learned Testing This One
- The Parmesan goes on halfway through, not at the start. The squash throws off a lot of moisture in the first 20 minutes in the oven. Cheese added before that steams instead of crisps.
- Toasting the nuts and herbs is optional, but do it. You can skip the skillet and scatter everything on raw, and it’ll be fine. However, all the flavors shine more when toasted.
- Spread the squash in a single, even layer. Crowd the pan and you’ll end up with soft, pale cubed baked butternut squash instead of caramelized edges.
One more idea: this is excellent under a scattering of my garlicky homemade pangrattato — and the same trick works on just about any roasted vegetable.
How to Make It
What to Serve It With
This goes with roast chicken, turkey, or pork without much thought. My juicy roast tarragon chicken with white wine sauce is the pairing I come back to — and if you’re working with one oven, run both at 425°F and give the squash a few extra minutes to catch up.
For a vegetarian meal, pair it with a quinoa or warm, nutty farro salad loaded with veggies.
If you’ve only ever made plain cubed baked butternut squash, consider this the upgrade. 🙌🏻 A real show stopper of a side, but kinda rustic too!
With its gorgeous caramelized edges, crunchy pecan topping, and savory-sweet flavor, this Parmesan-roasted butternut squash is the perfect dish to celebrate fall’s best produce! If you give this easy butternut squash recipe a try, please let me know what you think below!
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Parmesan-Roasted Butternut Squash with Pecans
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeds removed, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2½-3 lbs)
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prep the butternut squash. Preheat an oven to 450F. Place cubed butternut squash on the sheet pan, then drizzle with 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Toss well, ensuring the squash is in a single, even layer.
- Roast the squash. Cook for 20 minutes, then carefully remove. Add ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese right on top, then use a spatula to flip the squash pieces over and toss with the Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes, or until the squash is caramelized and tender. Remove from the oven.
- Make the topping. Heat a small skillet over medium heat, then add 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, ⅓ cup chopped pecans, 2 Tbsp chopped rosemary, 2 Tbsp chopped sage, and 1 Tbsp honey. Cook, stirring as needed, until the butter has melted and the herbs are fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add chopped garlic, then cook for 1 minute more.
- Toss with herb mixture. Pour the pecan herb mixture on top of the squash, then toss to evenly coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then transfer to a large plate. Garnish with additional fresh herbs and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Enjoy!
Notes
- Optional add-ons: pomegranate seeds, crumbled goat cheese, shaved Parmesan.
- I think the texture of the roasted squash is best fresh, so while you can prep the ingredients in advance, I’d wait to roast until you’re ready to eat.
- Leftovers and storage: Leftover Parmesan-roasted butternut squash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Reheat leftovers in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes until warmed through. You can also microwave it, but the oven will help maintain the crispiness of the Parmesan and the texture of the squash.
- While the dish can be frozen, the texture of the squash may become softer after freezing.
Nutrition
Photography by Jo Harding.
So question. If you say this pairs well with the roasted chicken, if you have only one oven how would you time this out to make both?
Hi Teresa! If you can adjust the racks in your oven, I’d have the roasted butternut squash on a sheet pan on the bottom rack and a chicken roasting on a rack slightly higher up. My roast tarragon chicken recipe, for instance, cooks for about 40-50 minutes at 425F. So you could cook both dishes at the same time and just roast the butternut squash at a slightly lower temperature than what I call for in the instructions (reduce from 450F to 425F so everything is cooking at the same temperature), and know that it might take an extra few minutes for the squash to become tender and caramelized. Make sense? Let me know if you need anything clarified and please report back! What a great dinner! xo, Ari
Delicious!!!!!
Yesss, I love this one so much! Thanks, Amy–really glad you enjoyed. Cheers, Ari
This is one of the best side dishes ever.
It’s so so good. All the fall vibes too. Everyone loved it! Will make again and share.
Thank you, Lauren! I’m definitely looking forward to enjoying this on repeat this fall. Cheers, Ari
Fantastic side dish paired with roast chicken and some greens. We all loved it- wonderful rich flavours. Going to have to buy a butternut squash more regularly now we are heading into winter.
This is the first time I ever roasted butternut squash; a request for Thanksgiving. I found this recipe and thought I’d give it a try – let me just say the layering of flavors are OUT OF THIS WORLD! I will make this over and over and over again (and have bookmarked it!). Thank you for sharing your craft ^_^
Yesss! So happy you enjoyed this one, especially for such a special meal. I love it too! Happy Thanksgiving! Ari