This. Butternut. Squash. Is. NEXT LEVEL, you guys. Butternut squash is usually the star in soups, you don’t see it quite as often served on its own as a side. But, man oh man oh man, this caramelized butternut squash is to die for!
The sweetness of the veggie itself is deepened by the caramelization, but then we’ve got pecans, lots of garlic, sage, and thyme thrown in for the last few minutes – just enough for the garlic to cook a tiny bit – and those three ingredients give the sweet butternut squash a savory twist!
Can you beat a sweet and savory flavor combo?? It just makes my tummy smile. Aaaaand if that’s not the most mom thing I’ve ever said then I don’t know what is.
The butternut squash is soft and tender, the pecans are crunchy, and the garlic and herbs just make the whole show sing.
Can you sayyyy THANKSGIVING?! I can’t think of a better veggie side dish, fam.
Caramelized Butternut Squash with Pecans
This whole 30, paleo, and keto side dish is perfect for Thanksgiving (or any night of the week during fall/winter for that matter!!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out of the lower bulb, and diced (about 4 cups diced)
- 1 tablespoon ghee (or butter if not paleo/whole 30)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 sage leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, minced
- 1/3 cup pecans
Instructions
- Add your butter + a big swirl of avocado oil (olive oil works too) to a non stick pan over medium high heat. When hot, add your butternut squash and season with salt and pepper
- Let your butternut squash cook, stirring some but not too often (we want to give it a chance to get deeply golden brown) until it’s tender when pierced with a fork
- If the squash is getting too brown before it’s cooked through, cover the pan with a lid and it’ll speed up the cooking a lot
- When the squash is almost tender and just needs a few more minutes, add the garlic, pecans, and herbs and cook for a few minutes until the garlic has just cooked just a little
- Season to taste and serve!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the squash
- Calories: 129
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 7 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and tag @thegarlicdiaries so I can see!
We loved it. Turned a sweet squash into a savory side dish. Easy to make. Thanks Annie!
★★★★★
Yay! So glad you liked it, Sandy!
Hello! Butternut is my favorite veggie, and this looks so good! I have trouble cutting the squash when it’s raw. Have you tried roasting it halfway prior to driving it for your recipe? I’ll try it and let you know.
It can be very challenging to cut! I have a crazy sharp knife, so that helps a lot. I’ve microwaved it for 5-10 minutes before cutting and that’s helped some. Yeah, try that and let me know!!
Mouth. Watering.
Consider this one pinned Annie! :)
Thanks!
Sandy
Thanks, Sandy!!