We had a bumper crop of Butternut Squash this year, and a complete failure of our Sweet Potatoes, so I’ve been sending along lots of butternut recipes.  While I used to prefer sweet potatoes to butternut when diced and roasted, this recipe has changed that for me  The coconut oil adds a subtle flavor while bringing out the squash’s natural sweetness. This may seem like a very slight variation on a theme, but it will surprise you.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Use a heavy-duty vegetable peeler to peel one butternut squash.  The easiest way to do this is to stand it up and peel down from top to bottom.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp and discard.  Cut the squash in half inch slices crosswise, then cut the slices into cubes.

Pour 2 T. melted coconut oil in a large bowl and add 1 t. salt plus a pinch or up to a 1/4 t. hot chile flakes.  Toss the diced squash with the coconut oil.

Use another 1 t. of coconut oil to “butter” a baking sheet, then arrange the squash on it in a single layer.

Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the bottoms of the squash cubes are brown.  Use a spatula to roughly stir the squash, trying to flip as many as possible.  Cook another 5-10 minutes and remove from the oven.  Immediately drizzle the squash with the juice of 1 small lemon or a whole lime, then stir to deglaze the pan.