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    Home » Recipes » Christmas Sides

    Easy Hasselback Butternut Squash Pumpkin Recipe

    December 19, 2018 By Sara McCleary Updated March 16, 2022 - This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    This hasselback butternut squash pumpkin recipe takes the hassle out of baking a whole squash. Served with browned butter with sage and pine nuts, simply delicious.

    Copious amounts of browned butter, toasted pine nuts and crispy sage. This is my number one flavour combination when it comes to pumpkin. The sweet notes pumpkin acquires when baked pairs so well with that particularly nutty combination. The browned butter adds even more flavour depth.

    Hasselback pumpkin with browned butter pine nuts and sage on a serving plate

    Visually, hasselback butternut squash is a great dish served to the table for people to help themselves. This makes it a wonderful dish when entertaining.

    Generally, you will see recipes with pumpkins sliced from the back, the rounded side. Makes sense, it’s easier. I prefer seeing the cut side of the pumpkin showing, the side that has the cavity where the seeds were. It’s the more interesting side of the pumpkin. Plus, the cavity makes a great collection area for the pine nuts and sage.

    If you can find small whole butternut squash/pumpkins, grab them! A collection of smaller hasselback squash/pumpkins on a serving plate, or baking dish, looks stylish.

    Frypan with browned butter, pine nuts and sage. Mixture being spooned over hasselback pumpkin on a plate.

    Leave the skin on or take the skin off? That is a personal decision. For this particular recipe I left the skin on. Butternut pumpkin skin is thin. One of few times having thin skin is an attribute.

    The skin is edible, but will your guests enjoy it? Josh will scrape every trace of sweet pumpkin flesh from the skin. Where I’ll eat the lot. If you do serve it skin on, turn a blind eye to your guests eating preferences.

    Hasselback pumpkin with browned butter pine nuts and sage on a serving plate

    The recipe is an easy one. Pumpkins are baked in the oven in their hasselback form, simply rubbed with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Butter is browned in a small frypan with pine nuts and sage. The butter mixture is then spooned over the cooked pumpkins and then served.

    Hasselback Butternut Squash Pressure Points

    Take care when cutting slits into your pumpkins. My hasselback potato trick won’t work with pumpkins if you are slicing into them cut side up. Take your knife and place it near the end of the pumpkin.

    Take note of the cut pumpkin height compared to the knife height. Then you will know how far to cut down, and not through the pumpkin. By taking into consideration how far your knife blade can slice into the pumpkin before cutting through.

    Special Ingredients for the Recipe

    Hasselback pumpkin with browned butter pine nuts and sage on a serving plate

    What to do with leftovers?

    The beauty of this hasselback butternut squash recipe are the common ingredients that we all know and love. Browned butter is the bomb!

    Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. Delicious cold and added to salads or warmed and eaten as is.

    Sara xxx

    More Delicious Sides

    Braised Red Cabbage with Bacon - my mum's recipe
    Stuffed Onions with Parmesan & Cream - you'll become addicted!
    Bacon Fat Potatoes - because everything is better with bacon
    Spatzle - German noodle love

    Printable Recipe

    Hasselback pumpkin with browned butter pine nuts and sage on a serving plate

    Hasselback Pumpkin with Sage, Pine Nuts & Butter

    Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
    This hasselback pumpkin recipe takes the hassle out of baked pumpkin. Served with browned butter with sage and pine nuts, simply delicious.
    4.84 from 6 votes
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    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 4 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 14 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Belly Rumbles Original
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 1278 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 Butternut Pumpkin
    • 20 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
    • 42 grams (3 tablespoons) butter
    • 1 bunch sage
    • 65 grams (½ cup) pine nuts

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
    • Cut pumpkin in half lengthwise and de-seed.  Also remove pumpkin skin if desired.
    • Place pumpkin on cutting board cut side up.  Using a sharp knife cut slices into the pumpkin not cutting all the way through.
    • Rub cut pumpkin liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
    • Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender and cooked through.  Cover with foil and set aside.
    • Melt butter in a pan.  Once butter has melted and starts to bubble add pine nuts and sage.
    • Cook pine nuts and sage until nuts have started to brown and sage is crispy.
    • Pour pine nut butter mixture over hasselback pumpkin halves and serve immediately.

    Oven Temperatures

    All oven temperatures are fan forced.

    Measurement Notes

    All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.

    Recipe Notes

    Cutting into the Pumpkin
    Take care when cutting slits into your pumpkins. My hasselback potato trick won’t work with pumpkins if you are slicing into them cut side up. Take your knife and place it near the end of the pumpkin. Take note of the cut pumpkin height compared to the knife height. Then you will know how far to cut down, and not through the pumpkin. By taking into consideration how far you knife blade can slice into the pumpkin before cutting through.

    NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

    The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.

    Calories: 1278kcalCarbohydrates: 111gProtein: 19gFat: 96gSaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 334mgPotassium: 3295mgFiber: 27gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 82250IUVitamin C: 165.6mgCalcium: 794mgIron: 15.9mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles
    Hasselback pumpkin with browned butter pine nuts and sage
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Cathy Lee

      January 14, 2020 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for Christmas. I did take the skin off the pumpkin, but it was a huge success. Really delicious and was great as part of our Christmas Day dinner.

      Reply
    2. maria

      July 01, 2019 at 6:36 am

      Love this idea, such a nice side dish!

      Reply
    3. Helen | Grab Your Fork

      January 10, 2019 at 10:44 pm

      5 stars
      Love this idea. And all those pine nuts!

      Reply
    4. Pat @ Wholesome Kitchen

      December 21, 2018 at 1:36 pm

      5 stars
      I Liked this, I will be making soon!

      Reply
      • Sara

        January 09, 2019 at 12:57 pm

        Fantastic to hear Pat, I really hope you enjoyed it.

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