My friend and chef, Kevin O’Connor, never ceases to inspire me in the kitchen. Just days away from the biggest feast of the year I asked Kevin for his winter squash recipe as it was my absolute favorite side from our Friendsgiving feast a few weeks back, and I just had to share! So if you’re still planning your Turkey Day sides, I promise this combination of roasted squash, honey nuts and goat cheese crumbles is sure to be a crowd pleaser! Plus while it looks impressive, this dish is actually super simple. Thank you so much for sharing Kevin!!
Roasted Winter Squash with Nut and Seed Honey and Goat Cheese Crumbles
For this dish, I used a honey-nut butternut squash, but regular butternuts or your favorite winter squash will do. I like to roast my squash over the fire, but a hot oven does the trick!
Ingredients ::
Winter squash, cut in to portions and seeds removed
EVOO (Cobram Estate Olive Oil is the best!)
Salt
Toasted Pepitas
Toasted Walnuts
Goat cheese crumbles
Sprouts or arugula for garnish
Directions ::
Pre-heat your oven to 375F. Toss the winter squash in a large bowl with a liberal drizzle of EVOO and a few pinches of salt. Roast in the oven on a sheet tray until tender and caramelized.
Meanwhile, chop the toasted nuts and seeds. Add pepitas and walnuts to a small saucepan and cover with honey. Bring to a simmer and allow honey to reduce for 4-5 minutes.
Put the roasted squash on a serving platter and distribute the honey/nut/seed mixture over the squash. Top with goat cheese crumbles and greens then finish with a drizzle of fresh EVOO before serving.
We take cooking together very seriously.
And since it’s the gift giving season… some gift ideas for the adventurous chef type in your life:
Recipe | Kevin O’Connor
Photography | Melissa Gayle