Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage & Cranberries
This recipe is what real nourishment looks like when it hasn’t been stripped, stabilized, sweetened, and rebranded for a shelf.
Butternut squash delivers slow-burning carbohydrates, fiber, and beta-carotene to support blood sugar stability, gut health, and immune function. Fresh sage offers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that support digestion, while cranberries add polyphenols that protect cells and provide a bright counterpoint without refined sugars. Healthy fats help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins and keep this dish deeply satisfying—not engineered “full,” but actually nourished.
There’s nothing here designed for mass production. No corn-derived sweeteners. No “natural flavors.” No preservatives to extend profits at the expense of your metabolism. This dish exists because whole food works—when it’s allowed to.
Corporate food trains us to fear simplicity and crave intensity: louder flavors, faster hits, longer shelf lives. This recipe pushes back. It uses recognizable ingredients, seasonal logic, and basic heat to unlock flavor the way kitchens have always done—before shareholders got involved.
This is food that respects your body. Food that doesn’t spike, crash, or manipulate. Food that reminds you that nourishment isn’t a product—it’s a relationship.
Ingredients
1/2 medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
1 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Peel the squash and cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds from the center and discard them. Cut the squash into large chunks. Coat with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel onions and cut them into large chunks. Coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Use a spatula to move the butternut squash to one half of the baking sheet. Spread the onions on the second half and bake until the squash and onions are well caramelized, about 20 minutes. When squash and onions are done, toss with sage and cranberries. Serve immediately.