Roasted Squash & Parsnips with Maple Glaze

Happy Valentine's Day! 

I thought I would share a dish with you that I absolutely LOVE.

The past three weeks have been a complete blur with the addition of my new private chef job. Over the weekend, our client had company in town and wanted to host a barbecue of sorts. 

Well, what do you serve as a side dish at a BBQ that takes place in February? 

We made this beyond delicious Roasted Squash & Parsnips dish that was inspired by a recipe from Epicurious. Holy amazingness. It is one of those sides that is perfect served at room temperature so you can make it a little ahead of time instead of worrying about having to pull it out of the oven at the last minute.

Roasted Squash & Parsnips with 

Maple Glaze & Marcona Almonds

Ingredients

2 cups cubed butternut squash

2 cups cubed delicata squash (live the "skin" on)

2 cups cubed parsnips

5 T butter

1/2 cup grade A maple syrup

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 T fresh rosemary, chopped

3/4 cup marcona almonds (chopped)

kosher salt, to taste

cracked pepper, to taste

Method

1. Heat your oven to 400 degrees F

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the maple syrup, garlic, and rosemary.

3. Toss everything with the butter and maple syrup mixture and lay out flat on a sheet tray

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

5. Roast until caramelized (about 35-40 minutes)

6. add the chopped macronas to the sheet pan about ten minutes before you pull it from the oven so they can toast up a bit. 

7. Once it is done, pull the tray from the oven and drain excess liquid into a small saucepan. Plate squash and parsnips on your serving platter while the liquid is reducing on your stove top. Once the liquid is reduced by half pull it from the heat and pour over vegetables. Garnish with fresh rosemary.

8. Enjoy!

Note: If you can, buy the skin-on Marcona Almonds - they provide a bit more color in the finished dish!