Roasted Butternut Squash Salad from ‘The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime’
This week, we’re spotlighting recipes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime: Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-Minute Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper! by Ree Drummond (William Morrow/HarperCollins). This is Drummond’s fourth cookbook and features her signature step-by-step approach to creating simple, satisfying food. Try making the recipe at home and let us know what you think!
Photograph by Ree Drummond
By Ree Drummond
Roasted Butter Squash Salad
Makes 6 servings
I had a roasted butternut squash dish at the Purple Pig in Chicago a while back, and it was so beautiful in its simplicity, I knew I had to make it as soon as I returned to the ranch and unpacked my clothes, which of course was 14 years after I returned to the ranch.
I hate unpacking. Have I ever told you that before?
Anyway, at the restaurant, the squash was served in a little crock as a side dish. At home, I decided to sprinkle it on top of salad greens … and it has become one of my favorite salads ever!
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 medium butternut squash
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
6 cups mixed salad greens
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place the pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat and slowly toast them, stirring, until they’re golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set them aside off the heat.
To prepare the butternut squash, lop off the top and bottom. Then use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler to remove the hard skin. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon. Slice the squash into sticks and then slice the sticks into cubes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan over low heat. Skim off as much of the foam as you can. Place the squash in a bowl and pour in the melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Spread the squash out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast it for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during baking. Crank up the heat to 400°F and roast for 15 minutes or so, until the squash is sizzling and golden brown around the edges. Set the pan aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the Parmesan and toss it quickly so the cheese doesn’t melt. Then pour the squash into a bowl and toss in the pine nuts.
Mix the balsamic with the olive oil and sprinkle in a little salt and pepper. Put the salad greens in a bowl and toss with half the dressing. Serve the extra dressing on the side. Add the squash mixture and lightly toss it in.
VARIATIONS
Use baby spinach instead of salad greens.
Use thinly sliced kale.
Reprinted with permission from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime by Ree Drummond (William Morrow/HarperCollins).
More squash recipes to love:
Butternut Squash with Ginger Tomatoes and Lime Yogurt from ‘NOPI’
Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Lemon Shrimp from Kathryn Budig
Roasted Winter Squash with Kale and Pomegranate Seeds from ‘The Yellow Table’
