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Here are all the best butternut squash recipes for the season, from soup to risotto! Its sweet flavor and brilliant color make it a favorite.
What signals the season more than brilliant butternut squash? The orange color and tender, sweet flesh make it a frequent favorite in fall and winter recipes. But how to cut it without endangering your finger tips? And what are the best ways to use it? Here we’ve rounded up all our favorite ways: roasted, in soups, and of course…in mac and cheese. Ready to get started?
And now…our top butternut squash recipes!
First up, the classic Roasted Butternut Squash! Roasting butternut squash cubes in a very hot oven turns the squash irresistibly sweet and caramelized. This is our base recipe for how to roast butternut squash, and you can use it in so many ways. It's a total fall treat.
Welcome to your new favorite dinner: Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage! The flavors are impeccable: creamy ricotta, punchy Pecorino, and fresh sage envelop the sweet squash in a cozy embrace. Every bite is a bit of sweet, savory, creamy, herby, and altogether irresistible. This recipe uses Boiled Butternut Squash for easy prep.
Another top butternut squash recipe? Let's hear it for risotto! The smell alone of this butternut squash risotto bubbling away is reason enough to cancel all your plans and make this recipe! The tender, caramelized roasted squash makes sweet pockets in the creamy Parmesan rice dotted with sage. And that smell of shallots sauteing in butter, with a splash of white wine? DIVINE. It’s a perfect stunning dinner recipe for entertaining.
Of course, no list of butternut squash recipes is complete without the classic: butternut squash soup! This soup will amaze you because unlike most recipes, there's no heavy cream needed! The creaminess comes simply from the pureed squash along with a few secret ingredients. It makes a sweet, dreamy orange puree that will have you hooked.
Here’s a standout fall salad starring everyone’s favorite ingredient: Butternut Squash Salad! This one is a symphony in a bowl: hearty sweet squash pairs with crisp apple, chewy cranberries and a citrusy orange vinaigrette. All the best flavors of fall and winter ingredients sing together in perfect harmony!
Want to fire up your oven for squash? Try this Baked Butternut Squash! This vibrant orange vegetable is everyone’s favorite in the fall. But it’s notoriously unruly: difficult to cut and peel. The best way to bake it? Roast it whole: there’s no need to peel it, just pop it in the oven! Whole baked squash is perfect for purees and soups.
Here's a fun way to eat this tasty squash: stuffed! Sure, it’s not as common to stuff with goodness as its cousin the acorn squash. But baked until it’s tender and sweet, it comes out just as tasty (or even more!). This recipe stars a vegetable and rice stuffing with garlic, kale, sage and pecans: fall flavors that accentuate the orange squash perfectly.
Why not add butternut squash to...mac and cheese? Yes, mac and cheese is made more perfect with a little dose of squash. This healthy spin calls for adding the squash right to the cheese sauce, making a creamy lighter spin on the classic. The sauce stars smoked Gouda cheese, which covers the pasta in a creamy, gooey coating.
You know about natural flavor pairings like peanut butter and jelly, and tomatoes and basil. Here’s another unique pairing that works like a charm: butternut squash and Thai curry paste! There’s something about the sweetness of squash and the spicy aromatic flavors of curry paste that go hand in hand. Try them together in this Butternut Squash Curry recipe! It’s easy to make, full of colorful vegetables and bursting with Thai curry flavor.
Here’s a fantastic butternut squash recipe that’s about as quintessentially cozy as they come: Mashed Butternut Squash! The flavor is bold and sweet, with a nutty undertone. Sage, butter, and Parmesan cheese make the baked butternut squash sing! Mash it with a potato masher or even better: whip it for a light and fluffy Butternut Squash Puree. Paired with a savory protein, it adds a pop of sweet to every bite.
Roasted butternut squash is one of the tastiest ways to cook this popular vegetable: but it can take up to 45 minutes with preheat time. Enter, the fastest way to cook squash: boiled! This Boiled Butternut Squash takes just 5 minutes to cook: combine that with chopping and boiling the water and it’s just about 20 minutes total. Eat it as a tasty healthy side dish, or use it in recipes like enchiladas, risotto, or lasagna.
Ready for the coziest, most comforting soup? This curried butternut squash soup tastes like a bowl of sunshine. It’s chock full of beautiful, colorful healthy ingredients, and because it's pureed with chickpeas, it's heartier than most butternut squash soups. The Thai flavors of coconut, ginger and curry are the perfect match to this lightly sweet orange squash! Pair with grilled cheese or fancy quesadilla to make it a meal.
Also try: Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Here’s a side dish that blew us away with its bold, sweet flavor: Butternut Squash Puree! It makes any meal more elegant, from roast chicken to vegetarian main dishes. Serve your entree on top of a bed of this bright orange puree, and each bite is a pop of sweet and savory flavor! For example, we layered some strips of seared tuna over the top and it was simply incredible.
Here's a dose of sunshine in a bowl! This is one of our top butternut squash recipes because of the massive flavor that comes out of these humble vegetables. This bowl features the squash, carrots, kale, and leeks, simmered in an herb-scented broth with brown lentils. It's hard to explain how cozy it turns out! If you're looking for a delicious way to eat your superfoods, this is it.
Another top notch recipe with butternut squash: this pasta! Tender butternut squash is pureed into a creamy sauce with garlic, spices, and goat cheese. It’s savory with a sweet undertone, and the perfect sauce to cover al dente pasta. It’s a little like mac and cheese, but a little sweeter and loads healthier.
Ready for the quickest, coziest fall recipe? This Instant Pot butternut squash soup! It's spiced with sage, with a hint of cinnamon and a smoky undertone. The squash and carrot give it an electric orange hue, and it's rounded out with potato and apple for sweetness. Really, it's pure gold in a bowl! It's a star in our comforting butternut squash recipes.
Also try: Easy Butternut Squash Soup
Feeling ambitious? Try this tasty recipe for butternut squash ravioli from scratch! The roasted squash filling and assembled ravioli can be made in advance. It’s way better than store-bought! via The Clever Carrot
Here's a fun way to use the season's squash: in hummus! Roast butternut squash, then puree it up with chickpeas and garlic into everyone's favorite dip. It adds a beautiful sweetness to this creamy spread. via Minimalist Baker
Hasselback potatoes are baked potatoes cut into fans of thin strips, connected at the bottom. Once the potatoes bake, the slices become crispy and separate. So why not try the same thing with butternut squash? Add a maple pecan drizzle and it's to die for.
The perfect pizza to welcome the season? Try this butternut squash pizza! The dough is topped with rosemary herb roasted butternut squash and cheese, then baked until the cheese is melty. It’s herby, spicy, and the ideal mix of fall flavors. via Half Baked Harvest
Here's a fun way to cook the straight part of the butternut squash (called the neck): fries! Cut them thinly so they roast up beautifully crispy, and they're a fun side dish everyone will love. via Feel Good Foodie
Last up in our butternut squash recipes: in the mood for a project? This butternut squash recipe is a kitchen DIY to make your own squash chips! It's helpful to have a mandoline to slice the squash into evenly thin slices. Brush them with olive oil and top with salt and a little Parmesan cheese, then bake until they're crispy. They make the perfect alternative to potato chips!
How to cut butternut squash
The one stumbling block with butternut squash is this: how to cut it! Wrangling this squash is notoriously difficult. If you’re not confident, there can be safety risks! Here’s the right way to cut butternut squash:
- Separate the base and neck: Using a large chef’s knife, cut off the top and stem of the butternut squash. Then cut off the neck of the butternut squash, right where the neck meets the base.
- Peel: Use a serrated vegetable peeler to peel off the skin of the neck and the round base.
- Remove the seeds: Slice the round base in half, then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
- Chop the neck: Cut a flat edge on the side of the neck. Then cut it into roughly 1/2″ slices. Cut the slices into strips, then turn the strips and chop them crosswise to create cubes.
- Chop the base: Slice off the end of the base and slice it into roughly 1/2″ slices. Then chop the slices crosswise to create cubes.
Butternut squash nutrition
Butternut squash is full of nutrients, as you can see from its bright orange color. Per the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, squash is full of beta carotene, protein, Vitamin C & B6, potassium, and fiber.
There are no studies to cite on specific health benefits of butternut squash, but here’s what we can say! A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, and have a positive effect on blood sugar to keep your appetite in check.
More squash recipes
Got a spaghetti squash instead? Found a delicata and not sure how to use it? Here are some resources for other types of squash:
- Make 15 Tasty Acorn Squash Recipes
- Try 15 Delicata Squash Recipes for the Season
- Grab all our favorite 8 Great Spaghetti Squash Recipes
- In summer, make 15 Tasty Yellow Squash Recipes
21 Tasty Butternut Squash Recipes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This roasted butternut squash is baked in a hot oven and turns out irresistibly sweet and caramelized. Serve as a healthy side dish or part of Butternut Squash Risotto!
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium butternut squash (1 ½ pounds, about 4 cups diced)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.
- Peel and cut the butternut squash into small cubes (about 1/2-inch thick). Follow the video tutorial or go to How to Cut Butternut Squash.
- In a medium bowl, toss with the olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then pour the squash on top in an even layer. Roast 25 to 35 minutes until tender and browned, turning once. Serve as a side dish, or part of Butternut Squash Risotto.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Fall
More squash recipes
Love acorn squash? Got a spaghetti squash instead? Found a delicata and not sure how to use it? Here are some resources for other types of squash:
butternut squash it s very good and have 15 variantly recives to cook and make tasted diferently every time. Thanks for effort to sharing and this article