Zesty Lemon Squash

This zesty lemon squash is a current favorite of mine but I did not eat much squash growing up. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times it was served to me before the age of eighteen and each occasion was at my maternal grandma’s house. My grandma is an amazing cook. I learned a lot from her and she generously passed on her coveted book of recipes to me. Unfortunately, I don’t recall her squash fondly.

Now, I’m not bashing my granny’s squash. It wasn’t bad at all. I just think that squash sometimes needs a little something extra. The something extra in this dish is fresh lemon…and that’s pretty much it! There are only five ingredients in this easy side dish and the simplicity doesn’t disappoint.

Even the smell of the squash when you pull it out of the oven is amazing. From the moment you decide to create this zesty lemon squash, you will only be about 15 minutes away from a flavorful roasted-to-perfection addition to your table, meal-prep, or whatever! I used calabaza squash–also known as Mexican gray squash, but you could easily substitute with yellow or zucchini squash without disaster. I am serving this squash alongside my garlic mashed potatoes and bacon-wrapped steak medallions for Valentine’s Day, but it is a good addition to any plate.

I’d love to know what your go-to simple side is–tell me in the comment section below. Also, sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this zesty lemon squash recipe on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!

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Zesty Lemon Squash

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Simply-made veggie side dish using just five easy ingredients

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: calabaza squash, easy side dish, oven-roasted squash, vegan side dish

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 4 calabaza (gray) squash you can also use yellow or zucchini squash
• 1 lemon
• olive oil
• sea salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash into quarters, vertically then into chunks.

2. Add squash, sea salt, and black pepper to a baking pan then drizzle with olive oil. Squeeze juice from lemon over everything then set lemon aside for later. Toss squash to evenly coat with all ingredients.

3. Spread squash out into a single layer in pan. I like to arrange the pieces skin side down, but that's optional. Roast for about 15 minutes or until tender (but not mushy).

4. In the meantime, zest the lemon. Garnish squash with zest before serving.