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Roasted Mediterranean Butternut Squash with Feta

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD

Butternut squash has such a lovely shape and color and is perfect as a side dish for a celebratory winter meal. This type of preparation takes little effort and all you have to do is figure out your topping. Here we are avoiding a sweet side dish, instead offering a savory Mediterranean flavor.

You could roast and serve plain – with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano, but the feta and pine nuts makes it a bit heartier and the tangy feta works so good with the sweet butternut squash.

Butternut Squash Benefits

Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and beta-carotene as well as vitamin C. Adding the olive oil will result in a higher absorption of the fat soluble nutrients such as vitamin A. This dish with the feta can be a complete meal for a weeknight when you have little energy. Just put in the oven and sit back and relax. Once it’s ready you just need to add your toppings.

baked butternut squash

The feta and pine nuts will provide a good source of protein, the olive oil your good fats and the squash your source of carbs and several vitamins.

Once you remove the seeds, don’t throw them away, they are a great source of protein and fiber. Rinse them and remove any leftover squash, pat dry and coat with olive oil (about ½ tablespoon oil for ½ cup seeds + ¼ teaspoon salt). Roast at 350F/180C for 30 minutes stirring a few times.

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Roasted Mediterranean Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta

baked butternut squash wth feta
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 6 minutes
This Mediterranean inspired baked butternut squash is topped with feta and pine nuts, perfect as a side-dish or an easy dinner
Course: holiday, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Butternut squash
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

  • 1 whole medium butternut squash
  • Olive Oil for coating and drizzling
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 teaspoons dry oregano
  • 5 ounces crumbled feta
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven at 350F (180C)
  • Wash the outside of the squash and pat dry.
  • Cut squash carefully in the middle (lengthwise). Scrape out all the seeds with a small spoon, set seeds aside.
  • Score the cut surface of the squash with a criss cross pattern. Coat squash (skin and inside) with olive oil and add salt, pepper and oregano.
  • Roast for about an hour until soft.
  • Remove from oven, and fill the cavity with crumbled feta and few pine nuts, scatter the rest of the feta on top of the whole squash.
  • Continue to roast for about 10 minutes.
  • Remove, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
  • To serve: scoop out some flesh and top with some feta.

SAVE FOR LATER AND PIN IT!

Baked Butternut Squash with Feta

Photo by Elena Paravantes © All Rights Reserved

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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11 Comments

  2. I can not put into words how much I love this recipe! It’s simple and quick to make, it’s healthy, and it is delicious! I didn’t have pine nuts so I used chopped pecans. Also added some ginger, nutmeg and paprika just because I enjoy those flavors with butternut squash. So good!! Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  3. Just wondering if you could roast the seeds inside the Squash for 30 minutes, so that they roast at the same time? Then, after 30 minutes, remove the seeds and continue to roast the vegetable for the prescribed time.

    Reply

  5. Hi Elena,

    Can I pair salmon with butternut as a Mediterranean combination with a salad for a main meal? or are there too many carbohydrates? Thanks Elena

    Reply

  6. This looks delicious and so easy to make! I love how straight forward this recipe is and how short the list of ingredients are! These are always a big plus on my book!

    Reply

  7. You left feta off the ingredients list.

    Actually, like so many of your recipes, exact quantities aren’t important. Your style makes it easy to take inspiration for endless variations based on whatever I have on hand or what’s available at the farmers market. I might go with kabocha squash. (Thanks to you, I always have feta in the fridge.)

    Last night a farmer gifted me with some beautiful wing beans, which I’ll use for lathera. I might add some purple Okinawan sweet potato too. A big bunch of chard will become a spanikopita-style filling for a galette made with yeasted whole-wheat olive-oil pastry.

    I often recommend this site to people who want to eat more vegetables. Even inexperienced cooks have no problem following your instructions (but might need guidance on how much feta to use!).

    Reply

    1. Thank you for catching that! Corrected. I think cooking should be easy, I generally avoid long complicated recipes with long ingredient lists. Greek cooking is simple but so flavorful.