Hasselback butternut squash with bay leaves

The process of “hasselbacking” squash takes a little time, but is a good way to work on your knife skills, and the finished product is really quite stunning- worth the effort, I promise!

  • 1 large butternut squash

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil

  • 1 fresno chile, thinly sliced

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

  • 6 dry bay leaves

  • Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425.

Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a large spoon. Remove skin with a vegetable peeler. Using a sharp knife, score rounded sides of squash halves crosswise, going as deep as possible but without cutting all the way through. This is called hasselbacking.

Rub squash all over with oil; season with salt.

Roast in a baking dish until squash begins to soften, about 15–18 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring chile, maple syrup, butter, and vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until just thick enough to coat spoon, 6–8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and keep glaze warm.

Remove squash from oven, and tuck in bay leaves.

Continue to roast squash, basting with glaze every 20 minutes or so, until tender and glaze forms a rich brown coating, 45–60 minutes. Serve warm.

 
FallDavid DiLorenzoSquashes