Hasselback Butternut Squash with Maple & Hot Sauce

And just like that, we are in 2022!

If your new year’s resolutions include a focus on vegetarian or more on vegan foods, then give this Hasselback squash a try. I made this recipe for the first time for our Christmas dinner and it turned out perfect! My family loved it not only because of its gorgeous look but also for its irresistible taste. The inspiration came from Bon Appétit but I modified the glaze and topped squash with pepitas to add a pop of color and nuttier texture.

Hasselback refers to the way you slice the vegetable.  The name comes from the Swedish restaurant Hasselbacken, where this technique was first used and popularized to bake potatoes.  Here, I used the same technique with squash. It is simply delicious and clearly the most impressive and hearty side dish you’ll ever make in fall and winter. The best part it can be made in advance and pulled out at mealtime.

Hasselback squash is like roasted squash but the difference is in its preparation which requires careful knife work. It is thinly sliced but not cut until the end so the squash keeps its original shape. The rest is easy. Like acorn squash and other winter squash, butternut squash has a wholesome, mildly sweet taste that goes really well with all kinds of flavors. Often my default flavor to make any squash recipe is to have a sweet and spicy combination with a bit of sourness to round the whole thing out. With that in mind, I made the glaze mixture with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and GF Kimchi hot sauce (spicy).  If you don’t have the exact chili sauce that I used, use what you have. I also added fresh thyme. It’s subtle and not overpowering. This maple chili hot sauce glaze can be used as a dipping sauce or dressing for salads. In fact I came up with this one evening to eat vegetable balls that I bought from Ikea.

How to make Hasselback butternut squash?

To prepare the Hasselback butternut squash, First, Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F

Then carefully cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise from the core. Try and keep both halves as even as possible.

Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler, preferably one with a Y-shape. A Y-shaped peeler gives you better grip than the standard swivel peeler. Make sure that you also get the thin whitish layer that’s beneath it, to completely expose the bright orange flesh of the gourd. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pieces.

Now, place the squash on a baking sheet, rub it all over with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and black pepper.

Roast (cut side down) for approximately 15 minutes. This process makes the squash tender enough to Hasselback easily.

While the squash is softening up in the oven, mix the ingredients for glaze/dressing.

Remove squash from the oven. Then place one of the squash halves on the cutting board using two wide spatulas. Let it cool until you can safely handle it with your bare fingers, about 5 minutes.

Use a paring knife to cut the squash into thin slices, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place two chopsticks or any thin piece of wood on both sides of the butternut squash half. This helps to prevent you from cutting entirely through. The slices must be very thin.

Now brush the glaze on the Hasselback butternut squash and place it into the oven for 40 -45 minutes. Brush maple hot sauce glaze on the squash at regular intervals of 10 minutes.

When you first brush the slices are too tight for the glaze/dressing to get down in the cracks. But about halfway through cooking, the butternut squash starts to fan out.

While the squash finishes roasting, dry roast pepitas until they puff up and rough chop them.

When the squash comes out of the oven it should be tender. Then just top with chopped toasted pepitas, and that’s it. Serve immediately or let it cool before storing it in the fridge in an airtight container.

If you make this Hasselback Butternut Squash, be sure to leave a comment. And, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and Facebook with hashtag #simpleglutenfreekitchen

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