Sautéed Butternut Squash with Lemon & Pine Nuts

How did it get to be November already?!?  Wasn’t it  just last week it was getting dark at 8 p.m. and it was 75 degrees out?  Alas, summer is over and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

As the leaves fall in my front yard, (and no, I haven’t gotten around to raking them yet) I took the time to prepare this butternut squash recipe for my family.  I wanted to share it with you now because this is a very pretty presentation for squash and a great side dish for Thanksgiving.  I modified the original recipe (like I do with most recipes) to eliminate tree nuts because my husband is allergic.

This is a pretty easy recipe, but if you can get someone else to cut up the squash I recommend it because it can be a workout!

This recipe can be made ahead for Thanksgiving and reheated for 30-45 minutes prior to eating.

Sautéed Butternut Squash with Lemon & Pine Nuts

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, chopped

3 oz pine nuts, toasted

1-1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil and butter in a pan over medium-high heat.  Add squash and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes until squash is lightly browned (the edges will start to soften).  Add pine nuts, lemon zest and parsley and transfer to oven safe bowl. Bake squash for 25-30 min until hot and tender. 

If making this dish ahead for Thanksgiving dinner, sauté squash but do not bake it until just before you are ready to eat, and if it has been refrigerated it will need to bake for 30-45 minutes.