I buy a butternut squash every fall with big plans and then let it sit on the counter as decor for 2 weeks before I use it. Part of the problem is that peeling and cubing one feels like a workout, so I put it off. But once it is roasted, that sweet nutty flesh goes just about anywhere, from a weeknight soup to a Sunday risotto. Here is everything I actually do with one.
1) Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash soup is the first thing I make when the weather turns, usually the same week I dig out a sweater. Roast the squash instead of boiling it, because roasting concentrates the sugars and boiling just waters them down. Blend it with a good stock, a little cream, and a pinch of nutmeg until it is completely smooth. A swirl of cream and some toasted pepitas on top makes a weeknight pot look like it came from a restaurant.
2) Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Stirring squash puree into mac and cheese is how I sneak vegetables past the pickier eaters at my table. The puree adds a silky body and a subtle sweetness that plays well with a sharp cheddar. It also lets you cut back on some of the cheese without anyone noticing the sauce got lighter. Bake it with a breadcrumb top for the contrast of crunch against all that creamy.
3) Roasted Butternut Squash
If you only learn one thing to do with a butternut, make it this. Toss 1-inch cubes with oil and salt, spread them out so they are not crowded, and roast at 425°F (220°C) until the edges caramelize. A crowded pan steams instead of roasts, so use 2 sheets if you have to. Those caramelized cubes are a side on their own or the starting point for half the dishes below.
4) Butternut Squash Ravioli
Butternut ravioli is a weekend project I take on when I want to feel like I accomplished something. The filling is just puree, parmesan, and a little nutmeg, kept thick so it does not blow out the pasta. Seal the edges well and press out every air pocket, because trapped air is what makes them burst in the water. Brown butter and sage is the only sauce these need, and anything more would be showing off.
5) Butternut Squash Fries
These are never going to crisp like a potato fry, and I made peace with that a long time ago. What you get instead is a tender, sweet, caramelized wedge that is genuinely hard to stop eating. Cut them evenly, give them room on the pan, and roast hot so the outsides brown before the insides turn to mush. A dusting of parmesan or a little chili powder in the last few minutes takes them somewhere good.
6) Butternut Squash Lasagna
This is the lasagna I make when I want something a little lighter than the usual meat-and-cheese slab. Layers of roasted squash and a sage-scented ricotta give you all the comfort with a fraction of the heaviness. Slice the squash thin so it cooks through in the same time the noodles do. Let it rest 15 minutes after baking or the whole thing slides apart the second you cut it.
7) Butternut Squash Puree
Puree is the building block that half of this list depends on, so it is worth getting right. Roast the squash until it is fully soft and collapsing, then blend it smooth with a splash of stock or milk. Season it more aggressively than feels right, because a bland puree drags down everything you fold it into. It freezes beautifully in portions, which is the move I wish someone had told me years ago.
8) Stuffed Butternut Squash
A stuffed squash half is the vegetarian centerpiece I bring out when I want the table to be impressed. Roast the halves cut-side down first so the flesh softens and the edges caramelize before any filling goes in. Scoop out a little of the center to make room, then pack it with grains, greens, and whatever cheese is around. It looks like a lot of effort and is mostly the oven doing the work.
9) Butternut Squash Salad
A warm squash salad is how I get people to eat a salad in October when nobody wants cold lettuce. Roasted cubes over hearty greens with something crunchy and something tangy is the whole formula. Add toasted nuts, dried cranberries, and a shower of feta, then dress it while the squash is still warm so it drinks in the vinaigrette. It holds up better than a delicate salad, which makes it my go-to potluck contribution.
10) Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Butternut gnocchi is the pillowy little dumpling that converts squash skeptics at my table. Work the dough as little as possible, since overworked gnocchi turns dense and gummy instead of light. Use just enough flour to bring it together, because more flour means heavier pillows. Sear the boiled gnocchi in a little butter afterward for crisp golden edges, which is the step that takes them from good to gone in minutes.
11) Butternut Squash Tacos
Squash tacos sound like a compromise and taste like a choice you would make on purpose. Caramelized cubes with a little cumin and smoked paprika give you something meaty enough that nobody misses the meat. Char the tortillas directly over the flame, since a warm pliable tortilla is the difference between a good taco and a sad one. Top with black beans, avocado, and a squeeze of lime and call it dinner.
12) Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash
This is the sweeter, dressier cousin of plain roasted squash, and it earns its spot on a holiday table. Toss the cubes with maple syrup and a little melted butter before they go in, then roast until the glaze goes sticky and dark. Watch them near the end, because that sugar goes from caramelized to burnt in about 2 minutes. A pinch of cayenne or a little rosemary keeps it from tipping over into dessert.
13) Butternut Squash Curry
A butternut curry is my answer to a cold night when I want dinner in one pot. The cubes hold their shape in coconut milk and soak up the curry paste without falling apart the way potatoes do. Bloom the spices in oil first, this is the step most people skip and then wonder why their curry tastes flat. Serve it over rice with a squeeze of lime to wake the whole thing up.
14) Butternut Squash Alfredo
Blending roasted squash into an alfredo is a trick I am a little proud of. The squash gives you that clingy, creamy texture with far less cream, and a nuttiness the usual version lacks. Loosen the sauce with pasta water until it coats the noodles rather than clumping on them. A lot of black pepper and parmesan keeps it from reading as sweet, which is the only thing that can go wrong here.
15) Butternut Squash Enchiladas
These enchiladas are my meatless-Monday workhorse, hearty enough that nobody at the table complains. Mash the roasted squash with black beans and spices so the filling holds together inside the tortilla. Warm the tortillas first, because a cold tortilla cracks the second you try to roll it. Cover them well with sauce and cheese before baking so the edges do not dry out and go brittle.
16) Beef and Butternut Squash Chili
This chili is what convinced me squash belongs in savory, stick-to-your-ribs food. The cubes melt into the broth just enough to thicken it while still holding some shape against the beef. Let it go low and slow so the flavors marry, because a rushed chili always tastes like its separate parts. Everything tastes better the next day, so I make a double batch and bank half for later in the week.
17) Butternut Squash Hummus
Swapping some of the chickpeas for roasted squash gives you a hummus that is a little sweet and a lot more interesting. The squash makes it impossibly smooth, so you can get away with a rougher blend than usual. Keep the tahini, lemon, and garlic doing their job, since without them it just tastes like baby food. A drizzle of good oil and a dusting of smoked paprika is how I serve it to people I want to impress.
18) Butternut Squash Gratin
A squash gratin is the side dish I make when I want to earn some compliments at dinner. Thin slices layered with cream, garlic, and gruyere bake down into something rich and just barely holding together. Slice the squash on a mandoline so every layer cooks evenly, and mind your fingers because that is exactly how people cut themselves. Give it time to rest before serving so the layers set instead of sliding across the plate.
19) Butternut Squash Risotto
Risotto has a reputation as fussy, but 20 minutes of lazy stirring is really all it asks. Stir roasted squash puree into the rice near the end so it turns every grain orange and silky. Keep the stock warm in a separate pot, since cold stock shocks the rice and stalls the cooking. Finish with parmesan and a little butter off the heat, and do not skip that last knob of butter because it is what makes it glossy.
20) Butternut Squash Muffins
These muffins are how the last of a squash becomes breakfast instead of compost. Squash puree keeps them incredibly moist, so they stay good on the counter for 3 days without drying out. Do not overmix the batter once the flour goes in, because that is what turns a tender muffin into a rubbery one. Warm spices and a handful of chopped pecans make them taste like fall without any pumpkin in sight.
21) Butternut Squash and Sage Flatbread
This flatbread is what I throw together when people are coming over and I want something that looks fancier than the effort involved. Spread ricotta on the base, scatter thin roasted squash and torn sage, then bake until the edges blister. A drizzle of honey and a little chili at the end is the combination that makes people ask for the recipe. Store-bought dough is completely fair game here and I will not tell anyone.
22) Butternut Squash Noodles
Spiralized squash noodles are my lighter stand-in when a bowl of pasta feels like too much. They cook in a flash, so 4 or 5 minutes in a hot pan is plenty before they go limp. Do not crowd the pan or they steam into a soggy pile instead of keeping a little bite. Toss them with brown butter and parmesan, or a spoonful of pesto, and you have dinner in the time water would still be coming to a boil.
