Maple Syrup Glazed Hasselback Butternut Squash

With just a few of simple ingredients from your pantry and a baking tray, this dish is much easier than it looks and makes an amazing side dish that is a comforting and fun addition to any Fall meal or holiday table and will wow your family and guests. The aromatic, earthy oregano and sage pair really well with that slightly sweet flavour of the butternut squash.
Hasselback is a technique of slicing a vegetable or fruit thinly while still leaving it connected, opening it up like an accordion. It’s visually appealing and it’s also a great way to insert more flavor into the dish.

1 / 800 g Butternut squash, halved lengthwise, peeled, and seeded
2 tbsp Olive oil plus more to coat
80 g Maple syrup (or honey)
1/2 tsp Chilli pepper flakes
1 tbsp Wholegrain Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Sage leaves, finely chopped (or marjoram, rosemary or thyme)
1 tbsp Oregano, finely chopped (or marjoram, rosemary or thyme)
Sea salt
Freshly milled black pepper
A handful of walnuts, chopped

Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C fan-forced / /400F. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways, then scoop out the seeds and pulp and discard. Remove the skin with a vegetable peeler.
Coat the pumpkin halves with oil and season with salt. Place pumpkin halves, cut-side down, on a baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly (par-cooking makes the pumpkin easier to cut).
While the squash is in the oven, combine tpgether the olive oil, maple syrup, chilli flakes, Dijon mustard, chopped herbs, salt and pepper and mix well with a small whisk until completely combined.
Using a thin metal spatula, transfer pumpkin to a cutting board. Place a chopstick along each long side of pumpkin. Using a sharp knife, cut slits into pumpkin crossways about 4mm apart, cutting through to chopsticks to prevent cutting all the way through. Return the pumpkin to the baking tray. Repeat with remaining pumpkin half.
Brush about 1/2 of the maple syrup mixture over the pumpkin halves and roast for about 45 minutes, brushing pumpkin every 15 minutes with the pan juice. At the last 15 minutes, add the chopped walnuts to the remaining syrup glaze and stir to combine. Spoon the nut mixture over the top of the pumpkin halves and bake until golden and tender.
To serve, carefully remove the squash from the baking sheet with a spatulas and transfer them to a platter. Drizzle the pan juice over and sprinkle with extra herbs and walnuts. Enjoy!