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Pan-Seared Butternut Squash with Balsamic & Parmigiano Shards
found in Side Dishes - Vegetable Sides

Serves:    4  

icon Vegetarian    icon Vegan    icon Nut Free    icon Gluten Free    icon Dairy Free

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

Difficulty:     
Challenging

Beneath the sweet banality of butternut, there is its alter ego: a deep earthiness that can only be coaxed out by pushing the squash around a little.

Ingredients  scales
Directions

1
Heat the vegetable oil in a cast iron pan, or a large sauté pan or skillet, over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the thyme and sage and fry them for 30 seconds. Add the squash, immediately toss to coat with the oil, and spread the squash out into as much of a single layer as possible. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2
Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or longer, stirring occasionally, until the sides of the cubes vary from light to dark brown and the squash is tender all the way through when poked with a fork. Pay attention to the heat under the pan, taking care not to burn the outsides before the middles are soft, but don’t fear failure if a few of the cubes darken to near black here and there. As the squash cooks, stir and scrape often with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula that can do the work of getting the tasty bits up off the bottom of the pan without scraping it silly.
3
While the squash cooks, briskly whisk together the molasses, balsamic and olive oil and set it aside.
4
As soon as squash is tender throughout, sprinkle with salt and pepper, adding more to taste. Transfer the butternut to a platter and drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette. Scatter shards of cheese over top and serve immediately.



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