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Roasted Kabocha Squash with Chili, Lime, & Honey

Roasted Kabocha Squash with Chili, Lime, & Honey

Chelsea Colbath
A simple recipe for roasted squash yields the most velvety, spicy-sweet side dish ever!
15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium Kabocha or Buttercup Squash*
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 lime juice and zest
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper/chili flakes*
  • 1 Tablespoon raw honey
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 4-6 small scallions

Instructions
 

  • 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • 2. While the oven preheats, cut your squash into 16 wedges. First, cut in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from the middle. Then, cut the halves in half, and in half again and again until you have approximately 1-inch thick wedges of squash. My 4-pound Kabocha yielded 16 1-inch slices- depending on the size of yours, you may get a few more or a few less.
  • 3. Lay the wedges of squash out on your prepared pan, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. This may seem like a lot of salt, but it's the only time you're salting the squash, so the full teaspoon is necessary. Give the squash wedges a rub to get some oil, salt, and pepper on every slice, then put the pan in the oven to roast for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.
  • 4. While the squash roasts, zest and juice the lime into a small bowl. Add the honey and chili, and stir to combine. Roughly chop the cilantro and thinly slice the scallions.
  • 5. When the squash is tender, remove it from the oven. Drizzle on the lime mixture, then sprinkle the cilantro and scallions on as well. Serve immediately, either straight from the pan or transferred to a platter.
  • 6. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week, if you can possibly resist eating all of it the day you make it.

Notes

*Most Kabocha's are roughly the same size- I weighed mine to be sure, and it was 4 pounds. As long as you don't pick a particularly tiny or massive one, there will be plenty of lime/honey/chili sauce to cover all the squash.
*If you have a favorite chili flake in your pantry, feel free to use that instead of crushed red pepper flakes. I recommend starting with just 1 teaspoon, which makes this dish spicy, but not overly so with the addition of lime and honey to balance it. If you are very sensitive to heat, start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more if needed.