I love roasted vegetables! Their flavor comes to life, enhanced by the sweet caramelization process. Add to that the slight crispiness. Yum!!!

This ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH recipe is very easy to prepare…but does take about an hour in the oven. So plan ahead. That time is hands off, so you can use it to prepare the rest of your meal…or, decompress from the day with a glass of wine.

Note: If you don’t like hazelnuts, try another nut such as almonds or pecans.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH HAZELNUTS

• 2½ – 3 lbs butternut squash
• 4 T butter, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, skinned
• 1 T water
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 425º Fahrenheit.

Wash and dry whole squash. Place in microwave for 3 minutes. (Don’t worry, it won’t explode – this is just to soften it enough to make peeling easier and safer.) Flip and zap it for 30 more seconds. Place squash on a cutting board, taking care not to burn yourself. Cut off both ends and discard. Dissect the neck from the body (I know, this sounds ghoulish!) Standing these halves on end, remove the peel down to the deep orange color with a sharp knife. Slice the body and neck in half lengthwise (yikes!) and remove seeds and fibres. Cut the four halves into 1/2″ pieces. Place pieces in a mixing bowl. Melt 2 T butter and pour over squash. Stir in the salt and pepper. Lay butternut squash pieces in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until bottoms are browned. Flip pieces and bake another 10-15 minutes, until well browned on both sides. While squash is baking, coarsely chop hazelnuts. In a small skillet or saucepan, melt remaining 2 T butter. Add in chopped nuts and sauté over medium/high heat. Stirring constantly, cook until nuts are browned – about 2 minutes. (The butter will be bubbly at first.)Remove from heat and stir in the 1 T water. Let cool a little, then add in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. When squash is cooked, place slices into a mixing bowl (I use the same one from before). Gently stir in the hazelnuts and butter. Sprinkle on chives. Serve while hot.