Squash, maple and pecan are natural bedfellows, and when roasted together are one of my favourite low-hassle side dishes. You should serve this with rich, savoury meat dishes, or things involving a creamy or cheesy sauce; if your meal is already a little sweet, or you’re contemplating other sweet side dishes, consider the Rosemary and chilli roast squash instead.
This is best with winter squash or pumpkin such as kabocha (delica), acorn and red kuri (onion) squash, whose nutty, earthy flavours suit the maple and pecan well. The more ubiquitous butternut verges on being too sweet to be matched with maple (for my palate anyway), but do use it if you can’t find the others.
Ingredients
- 1 kg winter squash or pumpkin
- 4 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Leaves from 10–15 sprigs thyme
- 25 g pecan nuts, lightly crushed
- Sea salt
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 210˚C/Fan 190˚C/Gas 6½. Wipe the squash or pumpkin with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. Use a large sharp knife to cut it in half and scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Place each one flat-side down and cut it into 6–8 slices around 2–3 cm thick (leave the skin on unless it’s really too thick).
- Put the oil and syrup in a large bowl and mix well. Add the thyme leaves and then the squash wedges. Get your hands in there and ensure each of the wedges is well glossed. You may need to do this in batches. Put the squash in a roasting tin (you need one that’s large enough to fit the squash in one layer; otherwise you’ll end up with steamed and soft, rather than nicely coloured and crisp-edged, squash).
- Drizzle with any remaining syrup and oil and roast on the top shelf for 20 minutes. Carefully flip the squash over and sprinkle with the pecan nuts. Roast for 10 minutes more, or until the edges are charring a little and the flesh is soft but not soggy. Season with a generous pinch of salt.