This Ina Garten Recipe Will Get You In The Mood For Fall

If you haven't already picked up your copy of Ina Garten's Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks cookbook, the gorgeous photo and recipe below may convince you. The Warm Brown Rice & Butternut Squash from Cook Like a Pro is the most satisfying lunch or perfect dinner side dish to complement a simple roast chicken.

It's so good and perfect for beginners. Ina Garten captions the photo on her Instagram account with, "Anyone else feel like making this TONIGHT?!" The full recipe is available on barefootcontessa.com.

Roasting A Butternut Squash

Cooking this squash properly comes with some finesse, and most of it that has to do with the carving. For this endeavor, you'll need a heavy-duty chef's knife, a sturdy surface, and a mind for safety in the kitchen. It can be difficult to cut through the whole squash at once. After you cut off the stem, it may be helpful to cut from one side to the middle of the squash (top to bottom) and then cut from the other side to meet the previous cut (bottom to top).

Once you've come to understand just how easy the process is through our step-by-step instructions, it won't just be Ina Garten recipes you'll be tackling. The roasted flesh of a butternut squash will keep you coming back for more, and this seasonal treat can be delivered in many delicious forms.

How To Make This Recipe

A dreamy concoction befitting of the Barefoot Contessa is perfect for you as well. Ripe with autumnal perfection, this savory rice-and-squash recipe combines pantry essentials like balsamic and white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown rice, and maple syrup with a few special goodies like Marcona almonds and dried cranberries.

1. Begin roasting the squash with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper before you start making the rice.
2. Once both of those are cooking, create a vinaigrette by combining the remaining maple syrup, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
3. Slowly whisk the olive oil into the vinaigrette before pouring it over the warm rice.
4. The final step is to add the roasted squash and the remaining ingredients, such as scallions, dried cranberries, and almonds. Serve at room temperature, but we're sure you'll want to taste it as soon as possible.

Make a Few Recipe Substitutions

The simple recipe also proves a fun base for experimentation.

• Instead of Marcona almonds, for instance, you could try swapping in lightly toasted walnuts.
• Instead of scallions, you could try roasting garlic and stirring it into the vinaigrette.

Other Butternut Squash Recipes

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Like other winter squash, butternut squash pairs well with a variety of flavors. You don't have to spend time boiling water for this pasta; the recipe saves you time by using convenient no-boil noodles.

Skillet Squash Blossom

With a short ingredient list, this dish is the perfect combination of ease and elegance. All it takes to create this gorgeous flower form is to arrange the squash slices in slightly overlapping concentric circles in the skillet. It is sure to be a showstopper at any Thanksgiving gathering.

Butternut Squash Bread Pudding

If you are looking for a less-traditional side dish to serve with your holiday meal, this savory butternut squash bread pudding fills the bill. Assemble this pudding the night before, and chill, covered, until ready to bake.