Butternut Squash Frittata with Fried Sage
Simple, savory frittata made with butternut squash, onion, Parmesan and fried sage. This delicious gluten-free, meatless recipe is sure to please!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on December 23, 2025
This butternut squash frittata recipe strikes a lovely balance between savory and sweet. Itโs full of caramelized butternut squash, sautรฉed onion, and salty Parmesan cheese. Top it with crispy, pan-fried sage for a gourmet meal suitable for breakfast, brunch or lunch.
This warm and satisfying dish is a great contender for holiday mornings. Itโs meatless and gluten-free. I modeled the recipe after a memorable brunch experience in Portland years ago so we can enjoy it at home!
How to Make Butternut Frittata
Youโll find the full recipe below. Be sure to use an oven-safe skillet such as cast iron or stainless steel (affiliate links), and keep oven mitts nearby to safely handle the hot skillet.
- This frittata follows the traditional stovetop-to-oven format, so youโll need to preheat the oven before you start cooking. First, whisk together eggs with milk, seasonings and half of the cheese, and set the bowl aside. The salt helps tenderize the eggs while it rests.
- Then, cook the onion and butternut in olive oil until theyโre tender throughout and golden on the edges. Weโll cover the pan for a portion of the cooking process to ensure that the dense butternut cooks through. You can cover the skillet with a metal baking sheet if you donโt have a dedicated lid.
- Arrange the butternut in an even layer across the pan for a nice โcrustโ experience, then pour in the egg mixture, and top it with the remaining cheese. Bake it until the eggs are puffy and center of the frittata jiggles just a bit when you shimmy the pan with your mitts. Keep an eye on the frittata during this timeโI provided a wide time range because cooking time varies depending on your skillet.
- Meanwhile, fry the sage in olive oil. If youโve never fried sage, itโs easy. The trick is to preheat the pan before adding the sage so it actually fries instead of just getting soggy. Dial down the heat as necessary and cook until the leaves are crisp, but not burnt or brown.
- Lastly, crumble the sage over the frittata, slice, and serve!
Serving Suggestions
This frittata is a well-balanced light meal on its own, but you can add any of the following for a feast.
- Almond Flour Pancakes
- Avocado Toast (Plus Tips & Variations)
- Crispy Hash Browns
- Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
- Lemony Kale Salad
More Frittatas to Enjoy
Here are my top frittata recipes. You can also browse more recipes for eggs and butternut squash.
- Baked Asparagus Frittata
- Baby Spinach Frittata with Sweet Potato Hash Crust
- Broccoli, Cheddar & Spinach Frittata
- Caramelized Sweet Potato, Red Pepper and Feta Frittata
- How to Make Frittatas (Stovetop or Baked)
Please let me know how your frittata turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Butternut Squash Frittata with Fried Sage
This sweet and savory frittata is made with butternut squash, onion, Parmesan and fried sage. Itโs a gluten-free, meatless recipe thatโs perfect for brunch or dinner. Recipe yields one 10-inch frittata,ย enough for 8 modest or 6 large slices.
Ingredients
Butternut frittata
- 8 large eggs
- ยฝ cup milk
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ยพ teaspoon fine salt, divided
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ยพ to 1 pound butternut squash (about 1 small or half of a medium butternut), peeled and chopped into โ -inch cubes
- ยพ cup chopped yellow onion
- Freshly ground black pepper
Fried sage
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 16 fresh sage leaves (roughly ยผ cup), chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic, ยผ teaspoon of the salt, and several twists of freshly ground black pepper. Then whisk in about half of the cheese.
- In a 10-inch, well-seasoned cast iron skillet or oven-safe sautรฉ pan, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir to coat. Cook for a few minutes, until the onions are starting to turn translucent. Add the squash and the remaining ยฝ teaspoon salt and stir. Cover the pan and reduce heat slightly to avoid burning the contents. Cook until the butternut is tender and cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, raise the heat back to medium and cook until the excess moisture has evaporated and the butternut squash is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 5 to 10 minutes (add another little splash of olive oil if the squash starts sticking to the pan).
- Turn the heat down to low. Arrange the butternut in an even layer in the bottom of the skillet. Whisk the egg mixture one last time and pour it into the pan. Sprinkle the frittata with the remaining cheese. Once the outside edge of the frittata turns lighter in color (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), carefully transfer the frittata to the oven. Bake for 8 to 15 minutes (keep an eye on it), until the eggs are puffed and appear cooked, and the center of the frittata jiggles just a bit when you give it a gentle shimmy.
- While the frittata is baking, fry the sage: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Let the sage get crispy (but not brown) before transferring it to a plate covered with a paper towel. Sprinkle the fried sage lightly with salt and set it aside.
- Once the frittata is done, sprinkle fried sage on top and let the frittata rest for a few minutes before slicing it into 6 large or 8 smaller wedges. Serve! Leftover frittata keeps well in a storage container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Gently reheat in the microwave or a low oven before serving, if desired.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Tasty n Alder in Portland and adapted from my Caramelized Sweet Potato, Red Pepper and Feta Frittata.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Youโre awesome! I know this is an old recipe, but Iโve been a vegetarian since last Christmas and itโs been a long process learning how to cook for myself and my girlfriend again. Iโm a KC native and was super pumped to learn you live here, too! If you ever want some folks to enjoy a coffee or cocktail with, weโd love to buy you one and pick your brain! Youโve made the last few months in the kitchen a blast! All of my meal planning is your doing, so keep up the great work!
Thanks so much for your note, Jared! Glad to know you are both enjoying my recipes here in KC. My lifeโs going to be a little crazy for the next couple of months, but Iโd love to meet up with you guys sometime. Definitely say hi if you catch me around town!
This looks great! Can I use frozen diced butternut squash?
I donโt see why not, if you thaw it out!
Another success! This is a wonderful brunch or light dinner with a salad. I honestly havenโt run across a recipe of Kates that isnโt delicious and easy to prepare. Thank you, Thank you.
Thank you! I am so happy to hear you like this recipe, along with many others. I really appreciate the support, Nita!
Made this tonight for dinner with a salad and homemade biscuits. A big hit. Love the fried sage leaves! A great addition to a delicious recipe. My goal is to try one new recipe a week from your site. This is my 3rd recipe and NONE have disappointed! Thanks!
Iโm a big fan of that goal! :) Keep sharing what you think, Nancy!
I made the Butternut Squash and fried sage frittata for the first time recently and it was soooo good! My teenage daughter and I loved it. We used sage that had been drying since I got it from our CSA earlier this fallโ what a nice touch! Thanks Kate!
Youโre welcome, Denise!
OMG! This was soooo good! I will definitely make this again! I didnโt have fresh sage, so I fried up some dried sage in a bit of butter for like a minute and it turned out great!
Thank you so much, you have never let me down with ANY recipe! I trust you and LOVE you!!! Youโre THE best!!!
Youโre so sweet, Connie! I appreciate the feedback.
Hello Kate, I have a butternut squash I need to use up and I thought about checking your blog. I have purchased your cookbook and everything I have made taste just amazing. My husband is diabetic has been wanting to transition to vegetarian/vegan eventually and with your recipes it has been a positive transition so far! His glucose is trending down and we are happy about this! Thank you for sharing!
Iโm happy you are loving the cookbook too, Jean!
Hello I really like the butternut frittata idea but donโt like sage. Can I use another herb that isnโt quite so strong as a substitute?
I really prefer this with sage. You could leave it out if you like.
Looks looks amazing! I will be trying this recipe tomorrow. I am wondering, would it work just as well as mini frittatas using a muffin tin? What temperature and cook time would you recommend? I want to have them as a one handed meal for post-partum
Hi Chloe, yes that should be ok. Check out my how to make frittata recipe and I lay all of that out. Let me know what you think!
Another winner! I halved the recipe since it was only for 2 people. I had some leftover kale, so I added a cup of that as well. My BF doesnโt like Parmesan so I substituted crumbled feta, worked out great! The fried sage is SUCH a delight and shouldnโt be skipped.
I just made this recipe and it was so delicious! I added kale but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. This recipe is a keeper, itโs as good if not better than any restaurant! Thank you Kate for sharing it with us!
I did a dead easy version, and it was divine! I used frozen, cubed squash (cook in microwave 5 minutes) and crรจme fraiche (store bought). Super easy and melt-in-your mouth yummy.
My favorite thing Iโve made this week. Itโs fun discovering โnew to meโ recipes from your site. The only thing I did differently was to make it with โRipplโ pea milk and it didnโt change the flavor at all and the texture was great. Even better for lunch on the second day!
Great to hear, Stephanie! Iโm glad you loved it.
Nice quick meal for a Sunday snack day, generates amazing leftovers and taste better with every bit, A well rounded recipe and delicious!
Great to hear it was a hit, Cyan!
Hello, This looks beautiful and exactly what I had been envisioning for a side dish for Christmas brunch. If I want to double the recipe and bake it in a 9ร13 dish do you have any recommendations? Thank you!! Canโt wait to try it!
You can try it! Let me know how it turns out for you.
I would like to make this frittata but I only have a smallish cast iron pan โ like 8 1/4 inches. And, it has to serve 6 people. I do have a cast iron dutch oven with high sides thatโs a larger diameter. Would this work?
Thank you!, Anne
You could try it! Let me know how it turns out.
This is the best frittata Iโve ever made! I didnโt have enough Parmesan for the topping so I used a garlic herb goat cheese I had instead and it was soooo delicious. Thank you!
Another great recipe! Iโm always looking for butternut squash recipes. Thank you, Kate! My family will love this christmas morning! Happy Holidays to you and your famiky