Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash

I've been eating a lot of meat lately and I need to re-energize my body with more vegetables. I decided to roast some organic butternut squash that I bought from the farmer's market. I am going to show you my process because I did not eat butternut squash when I was younger. It was not cooked by my family because we ate summer squash and zucchini which we grew in a garden, and because it was readily available.

The first step is to wash the squash and then cut it in half. I do not cut my squash longitudinally because the seeds are in the bottom half of the squash.

I then cut the squash in half again which exposes the seeds and pulp in the bottom half.

You have to scoop out the seeds and fibrous material in the center of the bottom half with a spoon. Save the seeds for later if you are a gardener.

Next, I cut the squash into chunks but make sure that each piece some skin on it.

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on the squash chunks and then sprinkle some cayenne pepper on the squash for a little "kick." The combination of hot and sweet is delicious to me. You can add some garlic powder, but I didn't on this batch. Do not add any salt, because it is not needed and it will change the flavor.

I place the squash on parchment paper in a glass casserole dish. You can also use a metal pan or cookie sheet. I use parchment paper in the pan because it makes an easy clean up and keeps the skin from sticking to the pan.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 -30 minutes. I test my squash to see if it is done by piercing one of the larger chunks with a fork. The consistency should be like a roasted potato. The smell is glorious!

This squash is delicious and children also love it. Don't worry about the cayenne pepper being too much for young palates. Kids eat those hot and flaming cheetoes all of the time. This squash is definitely not that spicy but it is oh so good.

Bon Appetit!