Marry Me Butternut Squash Steaks

Savor this plant-based take on Marry Me Chicken, featuring butternut squash steaks in place of chicken, all nestled in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Choose butternut squash with a long neck for the steaks, and use the leftover bulb and trimmings for roasting or making soup. Serve this comforting dinner with a side of sautéed greens and crusty whole-grain bread for sopping up the sauce.

Active Time: Total Time: Servings:

45 mins 45 mins 4

If you like Marry Me Chicken, you are going to love Marry Me Butternut Squash Steaks, our delicious vegetarian take. Simple ingredients with big flavors are married (pun intended!) to yield a delectable balance of sweet, caramelized butternut squash and savory, creamy sun-dried tomato sauce—a perfect match. You’ll glow inside and out with healthy skin-promoting nutrients from the butternut squash—beta carotene and vitamin C. Keep reading to see how fast the sauce comes together and how this recipe can be made ahead of time.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

Roasting squash at a higher temperature caramelizes it more and enhances the flavor in a shorter time.
Use a ruler to help make the perfect crosshatch pattern when scoring the squash.
You can prepare the butternut squash up to 3 days in advance. After roasting the squash slices, store them in a single layer on a covered tray in the fridge.
When cooking with alcohol, it's important in most cases to cook it for a few minutes to let the raw alcohol flavor cook off.

Nutrition Notes

Look no further than the humble butternut squash to stand in for meat in this vegetarian masterpiece. It’s sturdy and holds its shape when cooked, and it takes on a luscious caramelized flavor when roasted at high heat. Rich in potassium, fiber and antioxidants, butternut squash is a heart-healthy vegetable with a tender texture.
If you’re looking for a punch of antioxidants to add to your diet, give sun-dried tomatoes a try. Tomatoes, including fresh, canned and sun-dried, all contain lycopene, a carotenoid that has been studied for its role in fighting inflammation and maintaining healthy skin and eyes.
Heavy cream might not be an ingredient you want to use at every meal, but it provides a richness that is unmatched in lower-fat options, so consider keeping it in your fridge for dishes like this. Heavy cream can help break through the acidity of the wine to provide balance and give you a sauce that is the hallmark of a “marry me” recipe.

Ingredients

2 large butternut squash (3 pounds each), preferably with long necks
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped, plus 3 tablespoons oil from jar, divided
¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup water
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Trim stems off 2 butternut squash and cut the squash crosswise at the base of the neck to separate the bulb and neck. Cut each neck piece in half lengthwise; trim sides to create 2 (¾-inch-thick) steaks from each neck (4 steaks total). Peel the sides of the squash steaks using a vegetable peeler. (Reserve the bulbs and trimmed sides for another use.)
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
Score each steak ⅛-inch deep in a crosshatch pattern. Place steaks scored-sides up on a large rimmed baking sheet; brush all sides with 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
Roast until the steaks are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil. Broil the squash until browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 cup onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper and the remaining ¼ teaspoon each salt and Italian seasoning; cook, stirring constantly, until the tomatoes are deep red, about 2 minutes.
Add ½ cup wine, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen browned bits; cook until most of the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup water; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces slightly, about 2 minutes.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
Stir in ¾ cup cream; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to bubble around the edges and is slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; nestle the roasted squash steaks in the sauce. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons basil.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 butternut squash steak & ½ cup sauce

Calories 444, Fat 31g, Saturated Fat 12g, Cholesterol 51mg, Carbohydrates 39g, Total Sugars 8g, Added Sugars 0g, Protein 5g, Fiber 7g, Sodium 388mg, Potassium 1,344mg