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Tuesday Recipe: Mashed Butternut Squash and Pears

Written by April Yorke

Tuesday, 15 December 2009 00:00

Mashed Butternut Squash and Pears Two things: 1) you need something quick and easy for your next holiday pot luck, and 2) people really like veggies that taste like dessert.

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, about 1 pound
2 Bosc or Anjou pears
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Course salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Peel the pears, cut in half and remove the core. Place the pears and squash, cut side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds off of each side with a paring knife. Add the seeds to the butter. Reserve the pod for another use. Whisk the brown sugar and ginger into the melted butter and remove from the heat.

Brush the butter mixture onto the cut sides of the squash and pears. Season with salt and pepper. Set the remaining butter mixture aside and keep it warm. Roast the squash and pears until soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the squash. The squash is cooked when a knife can be inserted easily into the flesh.

Scoop flesh out of the squash and discard the skin. Place the squash and pears in a large bowl and mash with a fork or a potato masher. Stir in the remaining melted butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm.

Recipe notes:

Anjou pears ruled the day because I had them on hand. They are my favourite pear.
Pears are not, however, particularly easy to peel.
Sub 1 tsp. vanilla extract for 1 vanilla bean.
The ginger did not dissolve completely into the butter mixture, so I kept having to stir it up to ensure it didn't get left behind.
Speaking of leaving behind, do not forget to reserve some of the butter mixture for later. I dumped all of it on the squash and pears before they went in the oven. While this probably didn't drastically alter the flavour, it did ensure that there was a burnt crust on the bottom of my fruit and veg that I had to peel off before I mashed.
It really does take that long to cook a squash in the oven. Mind, the recipe is so easy that you shouldn't be complaining on that point.
One person kept insisting that I had dumped a whole bunch of sugar in there while gobbling up the mash. See what I mean about veg that tastes like dessert? Makes people happy.

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