\u00bc cup toasted pepitas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nPreheat the oven to 425\u00b0F.<\/p>\n
Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out and discard the seeds. Using a peeler, remove the skin. Rub both sides of the squash with the olive oil and season with some salt and pepper. Place the squash halves on a baking sheet cut-side down and roast for about 15 minutes, or until the squash begins to soften.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the butter, maple syrup, vinegar, 2 teaspoons chopped sage, and half the chiles, then bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened so that it coats the back of a spoon nicely.<\/p>\n
Remove the squash from the oven but leave the oven on. Place the squash cut-side down on a cutting board. Lay 2 chopsticks on the long sides of the squash (this prevents the knife from going all the way through the squash as you cut it). Using a sharp knife, make 1\/8-inch-thick crosswise deep cuts into the squash, going as deep as possible until you hit the chopsticks (you want to avoid cutting all the way through the squash).<\/p>\n
Return the squash to the baking sheet, scored-side up. Spread half of the maple butter mixture over the squash, allowing it to drip down the sides. Roast for 30 minutes. If the chiles become too dark, simply brush them off the top and slip them underneath the squash. Baste again with the maple butter and continue to roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.<\/p>\n
Transfer the squash to a serving platter. Drizzle over the top any remaining maple butter and sprinkle with the rest of the chiles. Top with the pepitas and decorate with the fresh sage leaves. Serve warm.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
Excerpted from BIG BITES: TIME TO EAT! By Kat Ashmore. Copyright \u00a9 2026 by Kat Ashmore. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All Right reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. <\/p>\n
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