Roasted Butternut Squash Agrodolce is a new and different twist on butternut squash! The squash is roasted in the oven than dressed with a tangy sweet-and-sour vinaigrette, and topped with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint! The roasting imparts a deep, rich flavor to the butternut squash. The pomegranate seeds bring a bright tartness while the fresh mint puts this dish over the top!
Agrodolce is very popular in Italian cuisine. It is a sauce that is basically equal parts sour, typically vinegar, and sweet, like honey or sugar. It adds a nice complexity to the dish. We like to make agrodolce in the style of the Sicilian and Italian relatives we grew up with. In reality, many cultures use a sweet and sour approach. The Chinese use sweet and sour sauces on many of their proteins, including chicken, pork and shrimp. Eastern Europeans like to make cabbage rolls in a sweet and sour style as well. The list goes on and on.
Roasted Butternut Squash Agrodolce is easy and delicious
Butternut squash agrodolce is an easy dish that you can make in 30 minutes. If you prefer, you can roast the butternut squash ahead of time and dress it with the agrodolce sauce. Just sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds and fresh mint right before serving. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
We served this dish last night at dinner. It was so popular that everyone went back for seconds and there were no leftovers! This dish is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free so you can satisfy everyone’s dietary needs with a delicious choice. That’s super important at our house. We have lots of friends and family that all have different dietary needs and we aim to please!
I think you’ll like this Roasted Butternut Squash Agrodolce as much as I do!
Roasted Butternut Squash Agrodolce
Course: Side DishesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes25
minutes30
minutesRoasted Butternut Squash Agrodolce is roasted squash that’s dressed with an agrodolce sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint!
Ingredients
3 cups 3 butternut squash (about 1/2 medium squash)
1 tbsp 1 olive oil
1/2 tsp 1/2 salt
1/4 tsp 1/4 ground black pepper
2 tbsp 2 pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp 1 fresh mint
- Agrodolce Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp 1 1/2 honey
1 1/2 tbsp 1 1/2 red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp 1/8 salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Carefully peel and slice the butternut squash into 1/2″ slices. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and ground black pepper. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning the squash over half way through the cooking process.
- While the squash is in the oven, finely chop the mint and
prepare the agrodolce sauce. Mix the honey, red wine vinegar and salt together in a small bowl. - Remove the squash from the oven when it is fork tender, about 20-25 minutes. Place the squash slices on a platter. Top with the agrodolce sauce, pomegranate seeds and fresh mint. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can roast the butternut squash ahead of time and dress it with the agrodolce sauce. Just sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds and fresh mint right before serving.
