Butternut Squash Burrata Salad

Roasted butternut squash and pumpkin seeds with balsamic dressing with burrata nestled on top and sprinkled with microgreens. 

WINTER SALADS PEOPLE. They will change your life. Every summer we get ridiculously excited for salads of all kinds. Hell, you cut a tomato on a plate and give us Maldon, we're good. Simple pleasures. But as soon as we hit about October, all bets are off. I want starch. GRITS. PASTA. If I'm not careful I can get a bit out of balance with my vegetation. Until we stumble across previous winter salads we made like this blood orange burrata salad (They don't all include burrata okay? ) or this endive satsuma salad. Or even this herb roasted cauliflower salad. Salad doesn't always mean romaine and cool feeling produce. You can work in warm flavors through roasting and spices, or adding nuts or condiments like whole grain mustard. Winter salads are just not as obvious, but they're available and worth it. We've made this at least twice more since originally photographing it and feel a calling to make it for a dinner party STAT. 

Another reason to love this recipe: Single. Pan. Roasting. Pumpkin seeds and butternut squash on the same tray so you only need enough enough landing space for one tray when you pull it out of the oven. Things you think about when you're short on counter space. You're also going to notice that butternut squash in the picture has skin. Not recommended and not in the recipe directions. I was hoping it would help us streamline a tricky part of cooking butternut squash, but it didn't work out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but it was still delicious (just needed a knife to cut off the skin after cooking).  

Butternut Squash Burrata Salad

serves 2

/// Ingredients ///

• 1/2 a small butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• pinch grey sea salt
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• burrata
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chiffonaded
• 1 clove garlic
•  1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon rata honey
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup microgreens, loosely packed

/// Directions /// Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut off the neck of a butternut squash. Peel the bulbous round end. Stand on end and cut into pie shaped wedges, cutting in half (remove seeds) then quarters then eighths so butternut is long (as pictured) On a baking sheet with parchment paper add squash, pepitas and drizzle with EVOO and basalmic. Toss to coat and bake for 25 minutes or until the squash can be pierced with a knife.

Place on a platter. Chiffonade basil. Add to a bowl and sprinkle with salt, olive oil and minced garlic. Toss to combine. Plate on top of squash. Add burrata ball to middle of platter. Top with microgreens and whisked dressing of lemon juice,  grainy mustard and rata honey (we use Wedderspoon brand).