food to glow

Swirls of roasted butternut squash mash topped with crunchy sweet-savory rosemary pecans. An easy and incredibly delicious side dish for holidays or any autumn-winter dinner.

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With Thanksgiving tantalisingly close I thought I would share a very easy but practically perfect mashed butternut squash side dish for your Thanksgiving Day menu. With the tiniest nod to the sweet potato soufflé trope, this recipe is for you if you want something a little sweet, but not full-on marshmallow-sweet. This comforting and nutritious dish is also savoury, a bit salty, buttery and clean-tasting, too. And if that’s not ticking enough boxes for you, it is at once sublimely creamy-textured and crunchy. In fact, I don’t need a full dinner to enjoy it. Just a spoon and a bowl is fine with me. Bear this in mind when deciding who gets what leftovers to take home. If there are leftovers, of course.

One of the best things about my Roasted Butternut Squash Mash with Buttery Rosemary Pecans is that it can be prepped a day or two ahead. I get an inordinate amount of pleasure in taking the time to prep a table’s worth of complementing side dishes over the week. Because it’s all about the side dishes, am I right? Whether you have a turkey, a ham, or a vegetarian creation like my cauliflower cheese cake or celeriac and carrot rösti cake, the sides are what we all get excited about.

Going side dish prep crazy is also a way to tempt your guests to try a wider range of vegetables. Even the most trenchant of veg-phobes might give this eye-catchingly orange dish a go. For kiddos, perhaps leave off the crunchy rosemary and pecan topping, but take care to give it some pretty, enticing, swirls (pictured below). Maybe even ask the most reluctant eater to give this dish a drizzle of warmed maple syrup just before serving. He or she might, might, just take a spoonful themselves.

Because I live in the UK, and it’s a normal work day for us, I have to be truthful in letting you know that my Scottish husband Andrew and I will be keeping it very low-key. We will be giving thanks at dinner over a half side of organic salmon from the local fishmonger, accompanied by this vibrant mash, roasted salsify with black garlic and chestnut puree (sharing soon!), steamed green beans and – oh gosh, I love this so much – vegan creamed miso kale. No wine, pecan pie, football or sleeping on the sofa. But no catching up on work emails either. Score!!

roasted salsify on chestnut puree + butternut squash mash

So, what’s in this Mashed Butternut Squash recipe?

A large, heavy butternut squash. Or two, depending on how many servings you need. I love Coquina variety for its intense orange flesh and superior taste, but on this occasion I used what I got in my delivered veg box. It is a fantastic source of beta carotene, vitamins C and E, magnesium, and potassium. I have squash at least twice a week in some form or other.

Butter, or best vegan butter. Got to keep it lux, and a little fat is where it’s at!

Pecans – buttery, rich and pleasantly sweet when fresh. High in fat (mostly monounsaturated), but also very high in vitamins and minerals – some 20 in fact.

Fresh, soft rosemary. Hard squashes of all descriptions are complemented by a kiss of rosemary. Its natural astringency is a great foil for the sweetness of roasted squashes. Rosemary is in the infused butter as well as the  crunchy topping.

Brown sugar or maple syrup. I go for brown sugar, but any natural sweetener is fine as you are only using a tiny amount. This is for the topping to make it extra delectable and help get it enticingly crunchy.

Miso deepens the flavour and adds essential salinity and umami. You can of course use any good sea salt instead.

Cayenne chilli powder in the topping to add piquancy. Just a touch. Optional, especially if serving to a mixed gathering.

How to make it ahead

It’s very easy to get ahead with this side dish recipe. Simply roast the squash until meltingly soft (perhaps have something else in the oven that also needs prepping), pull away the yielding flesh with a spoon and put into a lidded box or food bag. It will lose a lot of water while being stored. On the day of serving, drain off the liquid and whip it with electric beaters or use a masher. Pop it in a saucepan or in the oven to heat through until piping hot.

For the infused rosemary butter, follow instructions but keep the rosemary in for storage. Pull out the rosemary when gently re-melting.

For the rosemary-pecan topping, make it as directed and store at room temperature in a lidded container. Give it a quick blast in a small skillet or microwave for 30 seconds before serving.

Ready to get prepping?

Let’s get on with it then. 🙂

**Remember to follow me on Pinterest and, if you make my Roasted Butternut Squash Mash, click on the pin at the bottom and leave a photo of your make with a comment telling me what you think, or any awesome changes that you made. Similarly, any Instagram posts tagged @food_to_glow using my recipes will go on my Story if I see them. I’m always so proud when you share my recipes with the world. Yay!!!

Whether on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or of course here on the blog, I love to see what you do with my recipes, and I welcome your comments, star ratings, tweaks and suggestions.**

> Oh, in case you need some ideas for your holiday menu, have a look at my 11 Last-Minute Thanksgiving Day Recipes, and my 31 Festive Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes posts.

5 from 6 votes

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Roasted Butternut Squash Mash with Buttery Rosemary Pecans

Swirls of roasted butternut squash mash topped with crunchy sweet-savory rosemary pecans. An easy and incredibly delicious side dish for holidays or any autumn-winter dinner.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut squash, easy recipe, make ahead, nuts, side dish, vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 271 kcal

Author kellie anderson

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic in its skin optional
• 40 g salted butter divided use; or vegan butter
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 50 g pecans chopped
• 2 tsp rosemary chopped
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or any natural sweetener
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper optional
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper optional
• 1 tbsp miso paste optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

2. Halve the squash, rub the cut side with a little oil and lay on a foil-lined baking tay, nestling the garlic clove inside. No need to remove the seeds at this point. Roast the squash for 50 minutes, or until the squash is soft to the touch. Set aside.

3. While the squash is roasting, prepare the infused butter and crunchy rosemary-pecan topping

4. Over a low heat melt 30 grams of the butter in a small saucepan with the rosemary sprig. Turn off the heat and leave the rosemary in the butter. Either store the rosemary butter as is, or remove the sprig to use the butter now.

5. For the topping, add the remaining butter to a medium-hot pan, along with the brown sugar, chopped rosemary, a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper. Heat until the pecans are gently toasted and the sugar is melted - about 3-4 minutes. Leave to cool and store, or use to finish the dish.

6. When the squash has cooled a bit, take a spoon and scoop out the seeds - discarding the seeds or repurposing for another recipe. Remove the garlic and pop it out of the skin. Now scoop out the flesh and add to a mixing bowl, with the garlic. Use electric beaters to whip the squash to a smooth fluffy puree. Or use a potato masher. Whip in the rosemary butter and miso paste, if using. Decant into a serving bowl.

7. Check the seasoning of the squash mash and adjust as needed.  Rough up the surface if you like then sprinkle over the rosemary-pecan topping. Serve warm

Recipe Notes

This recipe is easy to make ahead. Please see notes above the recipe for how to.

 

This recipe is easily doubled or even tripled. 

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Butternut Squash Mash with Buttery Rosemary Pecans

Amount Per Serving (4 g)

Calories 271 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 21mg7%

Sodium 238mg10%

Potassium 720mg21%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 3g6%

Calcium 106mg11%

Vitamin C 40mg48%

Vitamin A 20225IU405%

Iron 1.9mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

RIPE FOR PINNING!!