Claire Wright
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
½ butternut squash
1 tbsp (olive) oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Pasta of choice, cooked according to packet instructions
A little more olive oil or melted butter
A handful of grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
¼ tsp nutmeg or dried sage (optional)
More:
Enjoy caramelized butternut squash with pasta in under 20 minutes. Check out the process in our video, or follow the recipe below for step-by-step instructions.
Method:
Peel and chop the butternut squash into small (1-inch) pieces. Butternut squash peel is edible when cooked, so feel free to skip peeling it to save time, but bear the texture in mind for kids or adults who might not enjoy it!
Toss the squash in the oil, season with a little salt & pepper, and air fry at 200C for 13-15 mins, until the squash is softened and lightly caramelised.
Mix the squash into your hot cooked pasta and drizzle with olive oil or a couple of tablespoons of melted butter, tossing through Parmesan cheese and/or nutmeg or sage, if using.
Engaging Kids
Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.
Kids in the kitchen
Kids will love tossing the squash with oil, salt & pepper, and drizzling over the oil/butter, Parmesan and herbs.
Activities
Got a kid who loves science? Try dropping one of the seeds from the squash into a glass of fizzy water, and watch it rise up and sink down again and again until the bubbles run out – the carbon dioxide bubbles bring the seed up to the top! You can find more at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.
Sensory
Explore what a whole and halved squash look and feel like. What can you see? Encourage your child to use their imagination and descriptive language. Try feeling the difference between the inside and outside of the squash with your hands, and how does it make your hands feel after touching the inside? Try touching the seeds and seeing what they remind you of.
Watch our video from Ruth Platt for a visual guide to exploring butternut squash with your senses here. Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!
Serving
Next time you make this meal and want to give your child an extra opportunity to get involved and engaged before eating, why not ask them to create an orange coloured centrepiece for the table? Can they find all orange items that make for an attractive display to match the squash?
Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.
Claire Wright
Claire has been working with children, food and communications for over 15 years, and is our Editor at Veg Power, helping translate expert advice into small, practical steps for busy families, and creating recipes that are actually simple.
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