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    Home » Recipes » Thanksgiving

    Oven Baked Squash with Maple Sage Butter & Crispy Pancetta

    Published: Oct 21, 2020 · Modified: Jun 30, 2023 by Andrea Howe · This post may contain affiliate links.

    71 shares
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    Oven baked squash goes from basic to elevated thanks to maple sage butter, crispy pancetta, and just a sprinkling of crumbled goat cheese. This dish makes for a stunning side at any holiday table, or a fun weeknight meal on its own.

    black platter with 4 roasted butternut squashes sprinkled with goat cheese and pancetta

    For this dish I used these adorable little honeynut squash, but any type of in-season squash like butternut or acorn work. You can read more about these sweeter and more tender cousins of the butternut squash in my Roasted Honeynut Squash recipe post. If you come across these at the market, I do recommend you give them a try. But for this recipe, as I said, any type of Fall squash will work just fine.

    Ingredients

    • 2 in-season Fall squashes, cut in half and seeds scooped out
    • olive oil, salt and pepper
    • 1 small package of pancetta (typically comes in 4 ounce packages)
    • 2 tablespoon each of butter and maple syrup
    • sage leaves
    • crumbled goat cheese if you want to add a little bite to offset the salty sweetness of this dish

    ingredients for oven baked squash dish on a wooden cutting board

    Preparation of Squash

    The beauty of using these little honeynut squashes is that unlike butternuts, they are pretty easy to cut through. However if you are cooking with a really hard squash like acorn or butternut, you will want to first microwave the squash for 1-2 minutes to soften up the outer skin.

    Once your squash is safely cut in half, scoop out the seeds and save them to roast (if you wish), or toss them. Brush each squash with a bit of olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

    honeynut squash cut in half and sprinkled with salt and pepper

    How long to bake squash in the oven

    Depending on what type of squash you are baking matters. The small honeynuts I mentioned above cook up quickly compared to larger butternuts. Based on the common in-season types of squash available, here’s a general guideline for cooking times in a 350 degree oven:

    • Small squashes like honeynut and delicata: 30 minutes
    • Larger squashes like butternut and acorn: 40 minutes

    No matter what size or type of squash you’re baking with, you will know it’s done when it’s fork tender.

    baked honeynut squash on a baking sheet with parchment paper

    Making the Maple sage butter & Pancetta

    Of course these are wonderful as is when fresh out of the oven, but we’re wanting to make this dish a little more special. So while your squash are baking, heat up 2 tablespoons of butter in small sauce pan over low heat. Add in a couple of sage leaves and stir for a few minutes, so that the sage can infuse with the butter. Then gently whisk in 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, till heated through, Strain the sage from the maple butter and place in a small bowl.

    Using the same small sauce pan, add your diced pancetta and cook on medium heat till crispy yet tender; about 5 minutes. Make sure to stir often as to not unevenly brown the pancetta. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked pancetta and place on a paper lined plate.

    Finally, if you’re feeling super fancy, add a few chopped sage leaves to the same pot with the pancetta cooking fat, and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until just crispy,

    Assembling Your oven Baked squash

    Place the squash on a serving platter, and pour the maple butter over each squash. Keep in mind that the ingredient amounts for the maple butter I suggest above are for 4 small half squashes. If you are cooking with larger pieces, go ahead and double the butter and maple syrup.

    4 small butternut squashes with maple butter and pancetta sprinkled on top

    Sprinkle on the crispy pancetta, fried sage leaves and a bit of crumbled goat cheese. Finish with cracked pepper and some flaky sea salt, and you have one gorgeous side dish ready to go!

    baked squash with pancetta and goat cheese sprinkled on top, in a black serving platter

    mini butternut squash with pancetta and goat cheese topping on a black platter with an antique spoon

    More cooking tips

    The key to achieving fork tender, but not mushy squash, is to not overcook. Make sure you begin checking your squash for doneness at the 20 minute mark for smaller squashes like delicata and honeynut, and 30 minutes for larger squashes.

    To “roast” your squash and get a slightly more browned top, crank up the heat to 400 degrees and lower your cooking time by 5-10 minutes.

    mini squash with pancetta and goat cheese sprinkled on top, assembled on a black platter

    other delicious squash dishes to try

    • Easy Roasted Honeynut Squash 
    • Acorn Squash Stuffed with Pork Sausage and Chestnuts
    • Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

    baked squash with goat cheese

    Oven Baked Squash with Maple Sage Butter & Crispy Pancetta

    black platter with 4 roasted butternut squashes sprinkled with goat cheese and pancetta

    Oven Baked Squash with Maple Sage Butter and Crispy Pancetta

    Oven Baked Squash with maple sage butter and crispy pancetta, makes for a delectable side dish or light meal. Perfect for Fall and any holiday table.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author:Andrea

    Ingredients

    • 2 Squash cut in half and seeded
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 5 sage leaves
    • 4 ounces diced pancetta
    • 2 tablespoon goat cheese crumbled
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush olive oil on each squash half then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your squash, until fork tender
    • While the squash is baking, heat the butter in a small saucepan until melted. Add 2 of the sage leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the sage to infuse the butter.
    • Add the maple syrup and heat through. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
    • In the same saucepan, add the pancetta and cook over medium heat till crispy, making sure to stir frequently. Remove from the pan and set on a paper towel lined plate.
    • Rough chop the remaining 3 sage leaves and add them to the sauce pan with the pancetta drippings. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, till crispy.
    • Place the baked squash on a serving platter, and pour the maple sage butter evenly over each squash. Top with the pancetta, goat cheese and crispy sage leaves.

    Notes

    To learn more about the type of squash I cooked with here, visit my Honeynut Squash Recipe for origins, where to buy, and cooking tips.
    The quantities for the maple sage butter are for 4 small squashes, cut in half. If you are cooking with larger squash, double the ingredient amounts.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1squash half | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 1399mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 40112IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Howe.We.Live or tag #HoweWeLiveRecipes!

     

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    About Andrea Howe

    Andrea Howe is a Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC PN-L1) and the founder of Howe We Live. As a seasoned home cook of over 20 years, developing and photographing recipes is her passion. Andrea has spent over 10 years in the health & nutrition industry, writing for various publications including Babble and Disney. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Taste of Home, Yahoo, Buzzfeed and ABC News.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susie says

      October 14, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      I can’t wait to make these!! I have made your other squash recipe, so I know this is going to be so good!!!!

      Reply

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