Roasted Butternut Squash with Browned Butter & Hazelnuts

a.k.a. butternut squash with extra butter and nuts.  America's Test Kitchen knows what it's doing.

Recipe

Squash
1 large butternut squash (2 1/2-3 lbs.)
2-3 tbsp butter, melted
salt & pepper

Topping
2-3 tbsp butter
1/3 c hazelnuts, toasted & coarsely chopped
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced chives

Preheat the oven to 425 (and toast the hazelnuts for just a couple minutes if necessary).  Prep the butternut squash: peel, clean out the seeds, and slice into 1/2 inch slices (semicircles or arcs).  Melt the butter, add some salt and pepper, and toss in the squash.  Lay it out in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven (they recommend the lowest rack).  After about 25 minutes (when the squash toward the back is browning), rotate the tray.  After another 5-10 minutes (so the new back is browning), take out the squash and and flip.  Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Toward the end of this (last) period, pop the butter and hazelnuts in a skillet cook a couple minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in the water, and after it cools a minute or so, mix in the lemon juice.  Once the squash is done, drizzle the topping over and sprinkle with chives.

Notes

First things first, I ended up not peeling the squash until it was already otherwise sliced and ready to go.  It's pretty quick and efficient to lay each slice flat and shave off the skin with a few slices.  So I'll probably stick with that.

A lot going on by the end here...  The butternut squash roasts long enough to get nice and tender, but what they're going for with the butter, heat, and low rack is a nice caramelization.  Mine were a little overdone, something to keep an eye on in the future (because I'll definitely do this again).  Same with the hazelnuts - a little too toasty, so a slight burnt taste.  I was a little unsure about the chives - the green touch is nice, but wasn't sure about the flavor.  Overall though, the topping adds a while lot of great complexity.  Thanksgiving 2015?