Today is make-ahead vegetable day – the stuffing is prepped and resting in the fridge, as are the blanched green beans.  And the butternut squash is roasting as I write this, soon to be done and laid out in an oval baking dish to be reheated tomorrow when the oven is committed to our turkey.  So helpful to have both a countertop convection oven and a new microwave to help with the warming up of things.

There’s no end to the many ways we can enjoy butternut squash, and I crave it in all its incarnations – roasted, puréed, in soup, in stew.  This dish roasting in the oven now is filling the house with the sweetest buttery aromas – I’m excited to have a little taste in just a bit.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH SHALLOTS & SAGE, & BALSAMIC SYRUP DRIZZLE

INGREDIENTS:

4 pounds halved and peeled butternut squash, cut into 1″ pieces

2 tbsp fresh sage leaves finely chopped

2 tbsp dark brown sugar + 2 tbsp grade B maple syrup

4 tbsp melted unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 large shallots finely chopped

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

FOR BALSAMIC SYRUP:

You can use the Balsamic Glaze sold at Trader Joe’s, or make your own by reducing 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 3 tbsp dark brown sugar and 8 sage leaves.  Reduce over medium heat until you have about 1/2 cup, and discard the sage leaves.  Cool and refrigerate

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350 and line two rimmed baking sheets with heavy duty foil.

In a very large mixing bowl combine all the squash ingredients, mixing with your hands to get everything well coated.  Spread the squash out in one layer on each of the baking sheets and roast for about 30 minutes, rotating the racks between the two shelves and turning the squash over at the halfway point.

Remove from oven and arrange in a large rectabgular or oval baking dish.  Can be served right away, drizzled with the balsamic syrup, or cooled, refrigerated, and reheated the next day.  If you do this, do not drizzle the syrup until ready to serve.

Serves 10.