Are you searching for the ultimate easy and elegant side dish to grace your holiday table or elevate a simple weeknight dinner? A dish so stunningly beautiful, so packed with the cozy flavors of fall, and so unbelievably simple to make? This incredible, from-scratch Orange and Maple Roasted Butternut Squash is that perfect recipe. We’re talking tender, sweet butternut squash, thinly sliced and artfully arranged, then baked to caramelized perfection in a luscious, glossy glaze of fresh orange and pure maple syrup.
This isn’t just another vegetable recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a show-stopping side that looks like it came from a gourmet magazine but requires minimal effort. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to squash that is perfectly tender and never mushy, with a flavor that is pure autumn bliss. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive dish that is destined to become a new family tradition.
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Easy & Elegant Fall Side Dish
What makes this Roasted Butternut Squash so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, deep flavor and its beautiful, fanned-out presentation. This recipe is a masterpiece of simple, rustic elegance. The star of the show is a beautiful butternut squash, which is peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced. The slices are then artfully tiled in a baking dish. The real magic comes from the simple, from-scratch orange-maple glaze, made from just pure maple syrup, fresh orange juice, and zest. This beautiful glaze is poured over the squash, which is then roasted using a two-stage, “cover-and-uncover” method. The result is impossibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth squash with a gorgeous, caramelized top.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Flavors of Fall: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, simple ingredients to create its signature rich and savory-sweet flavor.
- The Butternut Squash: For the best, most flavorful result, choose a butternut squash that feels heavy for its size and has a smooth, even-colored beige skin. The secret to the beautiful presentation and even cooking is to slice the squash into thin, uniform slices.
- The Orange-Maple Glaze: A simple but perfect combination of classic fall flavors.
- Pure Maple Syrup: It is absolutely essential to use a real, 100% pure maple syrup. The deep, complex, and nuanced flavor is a world away from a simple “pancake syrup.”
- Fresh Orange: For the best, most vibrant and authentic flavor, you must use both freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly grated orange zest. The zest, in particular, contains all the fragrant essential oils and provides a much more complex and intense citrusy aroma.
The Roasting Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfectly Tender, Non-Mushy Squash
This recipe uses a simple but brilliant “two-stage” roasting method. Here’s why each step is so important:
- The Covered “Steam-Roast”: The initial, 30-minute bake while the dish is tightly covered with foil is the most crucial step for texture. This traps all the steam from the squash and the glaze, which gently steams the squash, making it incredibly tender and moist all the way through.
- The Uncovered “Caramelization”: The final, long bake after the foil has been removed is the key to the deep flavor and beautiful presentation. This allows the excess liquid to evaporate, the glaze to thicken and become glossy, and the top edges of the squash to get beautifully browned and caramelized.
Step-by-Step to the Best Roasted Butternut Squash
This elegant, festive side dish is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Simple Prep
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Step 2: Carefully peel your butternut squash, slice it in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice the squash into uniform pieces.
Step 3: In a large bowl, toss your sliced squash with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.
Step 4: In a small bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup and the zest and juice of 1 orange.
Part 2: The Artful Assembly and Two-Stage Roast
Step 1: In a 9×13-inch baking dish, artfully arrange your seasoned squash slices, overlapping the pieces to create a beautiful, tiled or fanned-out pattern. Step 2: Pour your prepared orange-maple mixture evenly over the top of the squash. Step 3: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Step 4 (The Flavor Step!): After 30 minutes, carefully remove the foil. Return the dish to the oven and continue to bake, uncovered, for another 30 to 40 minutes. You will know the dish is perfectly done when the squash is completely tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, and the top has begun to turn a beautiful, deep golden brown.
Scatter the 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley over the top and serve hot.
Orange and Maple Roasted Butternut Squash (Easy & Elegant!)
A simple and elegant side dish featuring thinly sliced butternut squash roasted with a sweet and tangy glaze. The squash is tossed with olive oil, then tiled in a baking dish and covered with a mixture of maple syrup, fresh orange juice, and zest. The dish is first baked covered to become tender, then uncovered to allow the top to brown and caramelize. It’s finished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for a touch of freshness.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the thinly sliced butternut squash with the olive oil and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Arrange the squash slices in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an overlapping, tiled pattern.
- In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, orange zest, and orange juice. Pour this mixture evenly over the squash in the baking dish.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and continue to bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash is tender and the top begins to brown.
- Scatter the chopped fresh parsley over the top before serving.
Notes
- This is a simple yet beautiful side dish, perfect for a fall dinner or a holiday meal like Thanksgiving.
- Arranging the squash slices in a tiled pattern creates an attractive, layered presentation.
- Baking the squash covered for the first half of the cooking time helps it to steam and become tender throughout. Baking it uncovered at the end allows it to caramelize.
What to Serve With Your Roasted Butternut Squash
This beautiful and savory-sweet dish is a fantastic and incredibly versatile side dish. It is the perfect accompaniment to almost any fall or holiday main course.
- Holiday Roasts: It is an absolute must-have alongside a classic Roasted Turkey, a Glazed Ham, or a beautiful Prime Rib.
- Weeknight Dinners: It is also the perfect, elegant side for a simple roasted chicken or some pan-seared pork chops.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: This is the perfect make-ahead holiday side dish! You can prepare and fully bake the entire dish up to 2 days in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to simply place it back in a 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes, until it is warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to butternut squash that is tender all the way through, but not mushy?
The secret is the two-stage, cover-and-uncover roasting method. The initial, covered bake is what steams the squash and makes it perfectly tender. The final, uncovered bake is what allows it to caramelize and for the sauce to thicken, preventing it from ever becoming watery or mushy.
Q2: Can I make this side dish ahead of time for a holiday dinner?
Yes, absolutely! This is an ideal make-ahead side dish. You can prepare the entire recipe from start to finish up to two days in advance. When you are ready for your dinner, you can simply reheat it, covered with foil, in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes.
Q3: What is the easiest way to peel a butternut squash?
The best and safest trick is to first use a large, sharp chef’s knife to trim off the top and the bottom of the squash so you have two flat, stable surfaces. Then, you can stand it up on your cutting board and use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel the skin off in long strips, from top to bottom.
Q4: Can I make this with a different kind of winter squash?
Yes! This delicious glaze would also be fantastic on other sweet, winter squashes like delicata squash (which doesn’t need to be peeled!) or acorn squash.
Q5: Can I make this a little more savory?
Of course! For a more savory, herbaceous twist, you can add about 1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped herbs, like sage, thyme, or rosemary, to your orange-maple glaze.