Roasted Squash
with Pear

time  25 min | serves  1-2

A shining example of what happens when you choose ingredients that will do the work for you. This is a low-stakes, high-reward sort of dish. When combining only a few components that offer the perfect amount of punch, one can enjoy the perfectly flavorful, no-frills dish. 

Ingredients

• 1/3 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• Blue cheese (I like St. Pete’s)

• Raw, unsalted almonds, chopped

  For Pear Puree

• 2 small pears, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon butter

Method

Peel and cube 1/3 of a butternut squash- you will end up with roughly 1 1/2 cups of squash. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper on a small sheet tray and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender. 

While squash is roasting, peel, core and chop 2 small pears. Transfer to small sauce pan and add butter and sugar. Cook on medium-high heat until pears break down. Add a splash of water, and keep stirring, mashing the pears into a saucy consistency. 

To plate, scoop pear puree onto plate as the base, topping with squash, crumbled blue cheese and the chopped almonds.