This butternut squash and cheesy buckwheat polenta is the perfect main course or side dish recipe!

This butternut squash and cheesy buckwheat polenta isn’t your everyday polenta recipe. Butternut squash is cubed and roasted to perfection until tender. It lays on a bed of polenta that has been laced with toasty buckwheat and loaded with cheese. This cheesy buckwheat polenta is the perfect side dish for dinner or the perfect brunch accompaniment. It’a the perfect dish to serve this fall!

If you couldn’t already tell, I’m basically obsessed with polenta right now. I have been making it right and left lately, so please don’t hate me. Please don’t hate me for posting yet another polenta recipe. I mean it’s a tad different from the pumpkin polenta with crispy bacon I posted a week and a half ago, right?

I think the reason I gravitate towards polenta is how warming and comforting it is for fall. I don’t make it a ton during the spring and summer. It’s one of those dishes that can be used in so many different ways. It’s a great main dish entree for two. Zach and I eat it at all the time. This is when it’s a great time to add all of your favorite toppings. In this case: butternut squash and fresh greens. Polenta is also a fantastic side dish or the perfect brunch accompaniment.

Although this cheesy buckwheat polenta totally celebrates fall like my pumpkin polenta recipe, it’s actually completely different. Instead of stirring in pureed butternut squash, I laid it on top of a bed of cheesy buckwheat polenta. Seriously you guys, don’t knock buckwheat until you’ve tried it. It’s a great way to incorporate some toasty texture into an otherwise boring polenta recipe.

…and the cheese you guys. You can’t go wrong with all of that parmesan cheese.

Recipe for this butternut squash and cheesy buckwheat polenta is below! Pair it with a spiced or pumpkin ale and have a wonderful day! xo

Roasted Butternut Squash and Cheesy Buckwheat Polenta

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 small butternut squash peeled, seed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ salt and black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup buckwheat groats
• ▢ 1 cup half and half
• ▢ 4 cups vegetable stock
• ▢ salt and black pepper
• ▢ 1 cup polenta
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 cups fresh greens
• ▢ 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with the olive oil, chili powder, and a generous amount of salt and black pepper. Pour the squash onto the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast the squash for about 40-45 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
• ▢
  While your squash is roasting, prepare your polenta. To a small skillet, add the buckwheat groats. Over medium-low heat, lightly toast the buckwheat, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and crush the buckwheat with either a grinder or pestle and mortar. Set aside.
• ▢
  In a large saucepan, combine the half and half, vegetable stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, and whisk in the polenta and buckwheat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 30-35 minutes or until the polenta is thick and cooked through, stirring frequently. Stir in the butter and cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• ▢
  Serve the butternut squash on a bed of cheesy buckwheat polenta with fresh greens and sliced almonds. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi.