A friend recently asked me what was the easiest way to prepare butternut squash. Appropriately enough, I had just roast some earlier that week. It wasn’t anything fancy and I didn’t originally have any intention to post my roasted butternut squash because there is no real recipe but my friend’s question did made me realize that not everybody may be familiar with how to easily prepare it. As the season for winter squashes is upon, maybe a simple, outrageously easy recipe is just what people need to give these a try. I’ll do a “What is? Squash” later to fill in the details and other simple cooking methods, but for now, this should get some squash into your belly.
Roast Butternut Squash.
Ingredients
1 winter squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, etc.)
salt, pepper
olive oil
any herbs and spices or garlic (some suggestions below)
Directions
1. Cut the squash vertically in half so you have two hemispheres. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds in the center. I make 2 or 3 cuts along the flesh of the squash and slide in some thinly sliced garlic (optional).
2. Season with some salt, pepper, and any other herbs you like (thyme, sage, and rosemary are good). Drizzle on some olive oil, then place face down on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in a 375F oven for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the squash). Check after 30 minutes. If a fork easily slides though the thickest part of the flesh, then it is done.
That’s it. You now have roast squash.
You can turn the squashes right-side up and roast 5-10 more minutes to brown the flesh a bit. This will make for a richer flavor, but I don’t always do it.
Scoop the flesh out and use in any recipe that calls for the squash. Or, if you are lazy (and I sometimes am), simply get a fork and eat the squash directly out of the cut half. (I even toss in a few nuts sometimes…)
3 comments
I have been peeling it, dicing, covering in olive oil, sea salt and some fresh sage, and roasting on 400 for approx. 30 – 40 min, stirring every 10 minutes so it doesn’t stick. Also easy, and tasty. I will try your method too, little dude.
Oh yeah, that’s absolutely delicious. Great recipe. Sage just seems to go great with squash. I thought I’d start people off with the simple “cut in half and bake”. I’ve had friends complain about peeling it, but I have never had any problems either. Maybe people just put too much thought into this stuff.
[...] squash, simply cut the squash in half (top to bottom) and scoop out the seeds. The squash can be roasted whole in it’s skin and then scooped out for use. Smaller acorn or spaghetti squashes can be pierced several times with [...]