Butternut Squash Fries

My friend Anna turned me on to this side dish. It's really surprisingly how easy it is to make. The most time consuming part is cutting up the squash into fries. Butternut squash fried are somewhat similar to sweet potato fries except the squash has considerable less starch. I think this results in the squash fries as having a much more intense and fresh flavor. I've experimented with different thickness of cuts for the fries and my preference is a thinner fry - about 1/4 inch.

Butternut Squash Fries

1 large Butternut Squash
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper to flavor

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

With a sharp vegetable peeler, peel the entire squash. Cut in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. With the flat side of the squash on the cutting board, cut 1/4 inch slabs. Once you have the squash cut into 1/4 inch slabs then cut the slabs into 1/4 inch fry slices.

Place all the fries on a tin foil lined sheet pan. Drizzle the fries with the oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper. With your hands, toss the fries to ensure they are coated in the oil salt and pepper.

Cook in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until desired doneness. Turn half way through cooking. (Careful not to over cook as this will result in a limp fry.) Serve with your favorite condiment. My favorite is ketchup!