Roasted Squash Slices with Their Seeds
Ronna Welsh
You can roast squash in thin, unpeeled, unseeded slices for a playful, meaty, versatile “chip.”
Consider adding toasted, seed-full slices to crisp salad greens. I also love this squash in dressed with Garlic Yogurt Sauce and Pickled Parsley. You’ll find these two recipes on pages 380 and 66 of The Nimble Cook. Check out my advice for Martha Stewart on toasting squash seeds.
No two squash are the same size. To ensure you’re seasoning them sufficiently, use about 1 teaspoon salt for every pound of squash.
Makes 4 cups, enough for 4 servings
1 large butternut squash (about 2 pounds), scrubbed
Excellent olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Trim each end of the squash slightly. Cut in half crosswise, separating the bulbous seed section from the neck of the squash. Cut each in half again, lengthwise this time. Place the flat side of each piece down on the cutting board. With a sharp, heavy knife, cut crosswise into half moons no more than ¼ inch thick. You will cut through the seed cavity, keeping the seeds tethered to the flesh. (You can cut the squash and store it raw, covered with a damp paper towel in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)
Use either a pastry brush to lightly paint each side of each slice of squash with olive oil, or your hands, taking care not to push out any seeds. Season evenly with salt and arrange on the baking sheets.
Roast the squash for 15 minutes. The pieces should be tender and bright orange. Raise the oven temperature to 425ºF and roast until the squash slices begin to brown, 7 to 10 minutes more. Use a wide spatula to carefully flip each slice. Roast until the slices appear slightly wrinkled and dry, another 5 to 7 minutes. Some pieces will look plumper than others.
The squash slices will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Stored cold, the seeds will get progressively chewier, but they will re-crisp if you heat the squash slices in a preheated 300ºF oven for 10 minutes.