Upgrade Roasted Butternut Squash With This Surprising Superfood

What’s even better than classic roasted butternut squash on a chilly fall evening? Our version, which gets big flavor thanks to plump golden raisins and a slightly sweet vinaigrette made from one of the planet’s most nutrient-packed superfoods—bee pollen. 

Roasted Butternut Squash With Bee Pollen Vinaigrette

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

1 large butternut squash
2/3 cup olive oil, divided
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs rosemary, needles minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon bee pollen
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut bottom and edge of squash, and using a vegetable peeler, remove skin. Slice in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds with a spoon and slice horizontally into 1/4- to 1/2-inch strips. Arrange squash slices in a single layer on two sheet pans. Drizzle 1/3 cup of olive oil over squash, then flip pieces so that they’re olive-oil side down. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary, and roast until tender and undersides are browned, about 20 minutes. Allow squash to cool on pan, then place on serving dish.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together minced garlic, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, mustard, pollen, and salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle in remaining olive oil and whisk until
emulsified. Pour vinaigrette over squash and sprinkle with parsley and raisins.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont