(Makes about 4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into pieces about 1 inch square (about 6 cups squash cubes)
2 T fresh thyme leaves (or use 1 T dried thyme)
2 T olive oil (or slightly less if desired)
2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450F. Spray roasting dish or pan with non-stick spray or mist with olive oil. Wash thyme leaves and spin dry or dry with paper towels. (If using dried thyme, chop finely with chef’s knife. In small bowl, combine thyme, olive oil, and lemon juice and let sit while you chop squash.
Peel squash and cut into cubes about 1 inch square. Put squash into plastic bowl, then toss with the olive oil, lemon juice, thyme mixture. Arrange squash squash in a single layer on roasting pan.
Roast squash about 45 minutes, turning a couple of times. Squash is done when edges are starting to brown and carmelize and all pieces are soft. Remove squash from oven. Wipe out the plastic bowl you used earlier with a paper towel, then put squash cubes into bowl and toss gently with the parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Fresh thyme is probably pretty important here, although you could certainly use frozen thyme <http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-freeze-fresh-herbs-rosemary-and.html> if you have some. If you only have dried thyme, I’d crush it with a mortar and pestle or heavy knife.
Before I started cutting the squash, I combined the olive oil, lemon juice, and thyme, and let them hang out together so the thyme flavor could get infused into the oil a bit.
Read my step-by-step instructions for how to peel and cut up a butternut squash <http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-peel-and-cut-up-butternut-squash.html> if you haven’t done it. Peel the squash, then cut into pieces that are about an inch square. Put squash cubes into a bowl and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, thyme mixture.