This is another cleanse-friendly recipe that I made as a side dish to my lentil soup. You could actually just toss the roasted squash cubes right into the soup just before serving if you wish, but Mark and I really wanted to savor the crispy brown little bites on their own.

Roasted butternut squash is super easy to throw together and it makes a delicious fall side-dish. You can also add it to soups, stews or even atop salads. Butternut squash is packed with nutrients and antioxidants, it is low in fat and it provides an ample dose of your daily fiber. You can read more about all the wonderful health benefits of butternut squash from Whole Living here.

Like most things that I tend to gravitate toward when cooking, what I love most about squashes are their versatility. You can roast butternut squash with a wide array of different spices and herbs, you can toss it with a bit of maple syrup or brown sugar and cinnamon, you can puree it for soup, the list goes on and on. Grab yourself some fall-harvest squashes this weekend at the market and get to playing, the possibilities are endless. We hit an adorable farmer’s stand on our way home from NYC and I nabbed two butternut squash, two acorn squash, a spaghetti squash and four pie pumpkins. I plan to grab even more this weekend at our farmers market.

I chose rosemary as the star of this show because my potted rosemary in the garden is looking wonderful and it pairs so wonderfully with fall and winter dishes like this. You can certainly play around with other herbs or spices, thyme and sage are both wonderful with squash, you can also try smoked paprika, cilantro, tarragon, the list goes on and on.

Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash
serves 2-4 (depending on how large the squash is)

1 medium butternut squash
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Olive Oil (I probably used under a tablespoon, you can use more here if you wish, I was just trying to keep this very light)
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400ºF

Halve the squash lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard seeds. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler (if you can, this never works for me) or cut into big chunks and keep steady on the cutting board while cutting off the peel with a sharp knife.

Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with chopped rosemary, minced garlic, a small amount of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and toss to evenly combine. Spread out evenly in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until just tender and golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.