Roasted Butternut Squash Noodles with Orange-Cranberry Sauce & Honey Roasted Pecans

Nov 20, 2013 in sides & appetizers, vegan, vegetarian, butternut squash, cranberry, honey roasted pecans, orange. Read the original on: Inspiralized

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And another first for meâ€¦ cranberry sauce! If you havenâ€™t noticed already, Iâ€™m not big on canned or frozen veggies and sauces. I think that food is immensely more enjoyable when made as freshly as possible. Thatâ€™s not to say that thereâ€™s anything wrong with canned goodsâ€¦. I often used canned diced tomatoes to save time! However, when youâ€™re preparing a Thanksgiving feast, itâ€™s all about quality and making the time to take pride in your preparations. Itâ€™s all about waking up at 4:30am to roast your turkey or making batches of baked goods the night before.Â

During the Thanksgiving holiday, weâ€™re reminded of how important friendship and family time is. What goes best with friends and family? Food! Stirring a simmering sauce with your spouse or licking the mixer spoons with your kids can go a long way. These types of moments bring us together and make holidays special.Â

Making this cranberry sauce helped make me feel more connected to my food and Thanksgiving as a tradition. There are so many articles fluttering about right now on how pilgrimsÂ wrongfully claimed previously inhabited land as their own. Regardless of that history, Thanksgiving is an established American tradition that brings about loving feelings, memories, and kind sentiments such as sharing, caring and thanking. Despite its controversial historical roots, this holiday brings out the best in Americans!Â

Wow, Iâ€™m getting a bit political today, arenâ€™t I! Enough of that, letâ€™s talk noms.

Since this isnâ€™t a traditional food blog, I didnâ€™t want to make this a traditional cranberry sauce, so I spruced it up with orange zest and juice. Of course, itâ€™s topped upon yummy roasted butternut squash noodles and given a crunch with honey roasted pecans.Â

The orange adds an extra last-minute flavor in your mouth and pairs well with the warmth of the butternut squash. The honey pecans are just because, well, you canâ€™t go a Thanksgiving without pecans â€“ or at least I canâ€™t!Â

Iâ€™m having so much fun with these holiday creations, that Iâ€™m sad to go back to â€œnormalâ€ recipes. Thankfully, thereâ€™s Hanukkah, Christmas and New Yearâ€™s coming up!Â

Roasted Butternut Squash Noodles with Orange-Cranberry Sauce & Honey Roasted Pecans

2013-11-12 10:01:20

Serves 5

Roasted Butternut Squash Noodles with Orange-Cranberry Sauce & Honey Roasted Pecans

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

40 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

40 min

For the glaze

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup water

1/4 cranberry juice

1 cup cranberries

1 tsp orange zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

salt and pepper, to taste

For the rest

1 butternut squash, peeled, Blade C

olive oil cooking spray

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup pecans

honey, to drizzle

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place a medium saucepan over high heat and place in all of the ingredients for the orange-cranberry glaze. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until sauce thickens and liquids reduce. When done, turn off the heat, pour into a bowl and let thicken as it cools.

While the glaze is cooking, get ready to bake your noodles. Place them in a baking tray coated with cooking spray. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Once the glaze is done and you've turned off the heat and set it aside in a bowl, bake the noodles for 5-7 minutes or until noodles wilt and become soft. Remove from the oven and pour into a serving bowl.

Then, in one of the baking trays used, add in the pecans. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven for 3 minutes.

While the pecans are roasting, stir your glaze and pour it on top of your noodles, carefully. Once the pecans are done, place them on top of the glazed noodles.

Before serving, toss the noodles, glaze and pecans so that the glaze coats all of the noodles.

Notes

While you are cooking your glaze, prepare your butternut squash noodles to save time.

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