Roasted Butternut Squash with Paprika

Roasted Butternut Squash with Paprika  - delicious cubes of roasted butternut squash with onion, slightly caramelized on the outside and the perfect side for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

I love butternut squash. I buy one every week because they are the best vegetable ever, so versatile in a variety of recipes.

Actually, I have sometimes been known to buy two or even three if they are on offer, like when they occasionally have a bag of two for less than $5 at Costco - bargain!!!

If you struggle with adding speed foods to your plate, then this recipe is the one to make. Great for cooking in advance and then just quickly reheating to add to your plate. 

No complicated ingredients either, just simple items that we all have in our pantry or cupboard. 

How to peel and slice a butternut squash?

It might seem like a silly question, but let's be honest here. It is actually a pretty valid one. Butternut squash has quite a firm skin and it can mean that tackling how to slice up this vegetable is a bit daunting for some.

Yes, I know you can buy already peeled and chopped butternut squash, but personally, it doesn't taste as fresh or as good. 

There are a few key things to chopping up this unique shaped vegetable. Some like to peel with a vegetable peeler first, but I never bother with that.

Instead, a good sharp knife is really important. Never ever use blunt knives, it's an accident waiting to happen. Once you have a newly sharpened knife, chopping up this vegetable is a breeze.

• The first part is the nose, which is the long cylinder shape part. I always try and choose a butternut squash that has a long chunky nose, it's the easiest part to chop and so means you get more butternut squash for less effort.
• Slice off the nose part first, then stand it upright on your chopping board, you can then carefully slice off the skin (peel) with your knife. Once that part is done, it is then easy to chop into chunks, cubes, fries (whatever you are planning to make).
• Next part is the tougher part to chop and that's the bulb part with all the seeds in it. I tend to chop this part in half, scoop out all the seeds and discard and then chop into pieces that are easier to manage and again slice off the skin with a sharp knife.

It's so much easier to tackle it this way and easier to peel and chop if you slice it into shapes that are not going to slip and move around on your chopping board. 

How to Roast the Perfect Butternut Squash?

There are various different ways you can cook butternut squash, it's great cooked just as it is as cubed in soups or chilli's etc, steamed as a mash or puree or even just sliced in half and baked in the oven.

My favourite way to cook Butternut Squash is to roast it. Roasting gives it a nice exterior and really takes on any flavours you add to it with your choice of seasoning.

• Seasoning: The key to perfect roasted squash is making sure you get a good covering of seasoning with whatever seasoning you use, as the coating is what helps it get that beautifully caramelized exterior. My favourite combination for this Roasted Butternut Squash is just simple - salt and paprika (the sweet variety not smoked).
• Using oil: Oil is also important, you want enough that it perfectly roasts on the pan, but not too much that it makes them soggy and greasy. My favourite oils to use are either olive oil or avocado oil and you really don't need much. 
• Large enough baking tray: Finally is the size of the tray you use. The biggest mistake when roasting anything where you want a nice exterior is cramming it all too closely together on a small tray. What this does is just steams the veg and it doesn't caramelize at all. Okay, butternut squash isn't a vegetable that is going to go super crispy, but it will get a nice caramelization if you spread it out well on a large tray. You want to make sure no cubes are touching each other, each cube should have enough space around it for the heat to circulate and cook. 

You will see I like to line my trays with parchment, purely because it prevents any sticking, making it easy to toss and is easier to clean up afterwards - which is always a bonus!!

Can I use a spray 0il?

You can use spray oil if you want to save some Slimming World Syns or WW Smart Points. Just be aware the result is not quite as good and we really only use a small amount of oil for the whole butternut squash, which divided into portions is not going to be too high.

It's totally up to you though -  I know some like to save all their syns or points for a treat later in the day, so, by all means, try with spray oil too and if you are happy with the result not using oil, then that's all that matters.

Serve this Roasted butternut squash with:

Now you have made this Roasted Butternut Squash, you may be wondering what are you going to serve it with. The simple answer? Absolutely anything. I am serious!! It really does go well with some many different things.

and below are a few ideas of how I like to enjoy it:

• added into an omelette or frittata
• with eggs for breakfast
• with these delicious homemade pork sausage breakfast patties
• sprinkled on top of some soup
• sprinkled into a salad
• as a side for all kinds of dishes from chicken, fish, steak etc
• added into chillis, curry etc for some sweetness

More Butternut Squash Recipes:

I always say you can never have enough butternut squash recipes and here are some of my favourites:

• SAUTÉED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
• ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHICKEN QUINOA SALAD
• CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BROWN RICE SOUP
• ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH RICOTTA LASAGNE
• BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHICKPEA CURRY (VEGAN)
• ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BUTTER BEAN DIP
• PAPRIKA CHICKEN WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND LINGUINE
• SPIRALIZED BUTTERNUT SQUASH TOPPED MEAT PIE

or head on over to my Full Recipe Index with over 850 delicious Slimming World and Weight Watchers recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients, syn value and smart points etc.

This recipe was originally created on 1 October 2016 and updated on the 20 August 2019

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Roasted Butternut Squash with Paprika

Yield: SERVES 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Roasted Butternut Squash with Paprika – delicious cubes of roasted butternut squash with onion, slightly caramelized on the outside and the perfect side for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

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Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, cubed (approx 850g/30oz once peeled/chopped)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 tsp of paprika
• ¾ tsp of salt
• ¼ tsp of black pepper
• 2 tsp of avocado oil (or olive oil) - 4 syns
• cooking spray oil
• fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200c/180c fan/400f or gas mark 6
2. Add cubed butternut squash to bowl
3. Add in onion, paprika, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
4. Add in olive oil and toss again.
5. Spread out on a large baking tray, not too close together (I line with parchment).
6. Spray over the top with some cooking spray oil.
7. Bake in the oven for approx 35-40 mins, the squash should be nice and caramelized on the exterior when ready. I rotate the cubes for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
8. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley.
9. Serve and enjoy!!

Notes

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, paleo, Whole30, Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly

• Slimming World - 1 syn per serving
• Slimming World SP - 1 syn per serving
• WW Flex/Freestyle Smart Points - 1 per serving

NOTE: can use just spray oil to keep syn free, but best result is using oil.

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Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information.

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Nutrition Information

Serving Size 1 SERVING
Amount Per Serving Calories 129Total Fat 2.6gSaturated Fat 0.3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 445mgCarbohydrates 27.8gFiber 5.1gSugar 5.9gProtein 2.6g

Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information.

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