Roasted Kabocha with Burrata and Spiced Honey

This roasted kabocha with burrata and spiced honey is an easy and super flavorful side dish that is perfect for holiday meals! Roasted wedges of kabocha squash are layered on a platter with burrata cheese, sliced pear, pomegranate, and roasted pecans. A drizzle of chai-spiced honey and sprinkle of flaky sea salt finishes the dish.

This is my favorite kind of holiday side dish — not hard to make but packed with visual interest and layers of flavors and textures! The hardest part of this recipe will be cutting up the kabocha if your knife is dull. Other than that, it’s super easy and really freaking delicious. Roasted kabocha wedges are layered with creamy burrata cheese, thinly sliced pear, pomegranate and roasted pecans then finished with a drizzle of the spiced honey and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. The only downside? Once made, you have to serve and eat it right away. I’m sure that won’t be a problem, though!

Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions

I love kabocha because it’s dense and creamy when roasted and has a beautifully sweet and nutty flavor. It ranges in color from dark green to orange to grey depending on the variety and is sometimes called “Japanese pumpkin”. If you can’t find kabocha, you can use 2-3 koginut squashes in its place or a large butternut (you’ll have to remove the skin prior to roasting it!). To make it easy and cut down on the number of ingredients, I used a chai masala spice blend in the honey. You can use a pumpkin pie spice blend instead or sub with the following: 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves. You can use any firm, ripe pear here but I really love the mild sweetness of an Asian pear. Bosc is another great option!

Want to make it vegan? No problem! Use maple syrup instead of honey — mix in the spices but don’t warm it. Add dollops of vegan ricotta (I love making my own with tofu!) in place of the burrata.

Roasted Kabocha with Burrata and Spiced Honey in 4 Easy Steps

More Vegetarian Holiday Side Dishes

If you want a holiday salad that’s hearty, packed with seasonal flavors, AND won’t go wilty once dressed, I highly recommend trying my Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad. Hakurei turnips are one of my absolute favorite fall root veggies and they really shine when braised in a miso, maple, and ginger-flecked broth in this easy side dish recipe. For something a little unexpected that is already portioned for serving, try these roasted honeynut squash halves with apple fennel slaw and vegan ricotta. No holiday table is complete without my perfectly spiced cranberry marmalade! I recommend cutting the recipe in half, skipping the canning instructions, and using blood oranges if you can find them.

Roasted Kabocha with Burrata and Spiced Honey

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5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Courtney West
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This roasted kabocha with burrata and spiced honey is an easy and super flavorful side dish that is perfect for holiday meals! Roasted wedges of kabocha squash are layered on a platter with burrata cheese, sliced pear, pomegranate, and roasted pecans. A drizzle of chai-spiced honey and sprinkle of flaky sea salt finishes the dish.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon chai masala spice blend
• 1 pinch ground black pepper, plus extra to taste
• 1 medium kabocha squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
• 8 ounces fresh burrata cheese
• 1 ripe firm pear, such as Asian or Bosc, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• Flaky sea salt, for serving

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the spiced honey first – combine the honey, masala chai, and black pepper in a small pan. Set the pan over low heat (the lowest settting your stove has) and warm for about 5 minutes until loosened. Remove from the burner and set aside to infuse and cool down.

Srcrub the kabocha squash well. Using a sharp knife, trim the top stem and bottom blossom end off and discard. No need to peel! The skin is thin and edible. Cut the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the pulp and seeds and discard. Cut into wedges that are about 1-inch thick. Pile the wedges onto the lined baking sheet, then drizzle with the olive oil. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper along with the chopped thyme. Toss with your hands to evenly coat the squash then spread across the baking sheet without overlapping the slices. Roast on a rack in the upper third of the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove and flip wedges over. Roast for an additional 15-20 min until very tender and beginning to caramelize around the edges.

Arrange roasted kabocha wedges on a large platter. Tear up the burrata and arrange on the platter with the squash followed by the sliced pear, chopped pecans, and pomegranate. Right before serving, drizzle with some of the spiced honey and finish with sprinkle of flaky salt and fresh thyme leaves. Serve and enjoy immediately with the extra spiced honey on the side.

Notes

• If you only have raw pecans, pop them on the baking sheet and set them in the oven while it preheats. Check on them after 5-7 minutes. They’re ready once they’re a deeper brown color and smell very nutty.
• This dish is best enjoyed the day it is made. If you know you won’t eat all of it, I recommend only making the amount of servings that will be eaten. Store each component separately. The roasted squash will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. The spiced honey can stay on the counter for 1-2 weeks. Warm up leftover squash in the microwave or oven then assemble with the remaining ingredients.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
• Category: side