26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (2024)

It's butternut squash season and the versatile vegetable has our attention. Soft and creamy when cooked, with the ability to taste sweet or savory depending on the preparation, butternut squash yields itself to a variety of recipes for sides and mains. Add it to macaroni and cheese, puree it into soup, and even use it to bake a meatless Parmesan. Here are a bunch of warming butternut squash recipes we love.

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Roasted Butternut Squash with Curry Leaves

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (1)

"A sprinkling of marash chile flakes and curry leaves with coconut oil add a bit of heat and an intoxicating fragrance," says cookbook author Nik Sharma about this delicious side dish, "while the black mustard seeds add a hint of nuttiness." If you can't find marash chile flakes, Aleppo pepper can be substituted.

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02of 26

Roasted Butternut Squash Parmesan

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (2)

To make this fantastic vegetarian Parmesan, cookbook author Raquel Pelzel first roasts seasoned half-moons of squash. The squash gets layered with marinara and three cheeses, then baked until it's tender and golden. To finish, Pelzel sprinkles the dish with crisp homemade breadcrumbs.

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03of 26

Curried Squash Galette

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (3)

With a super-flaky crust (the secret: frozen grated butter) and a lightly spiced sweet-savory winter squash filling, this rustic galette from Food & Wine's Justin Chapple makes for a perfect vegetarian meal.

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04of 26

Butternut Squash and Pork Soup with Fish Sauce and Tender Herbs

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (4)

In Vietnam, kabocha squash is simmered with pork to make a soup called canh bi do thit heo. This riff on that classic dish swaps in mild butternut, which holds its shape well and absorbs the rich flavors of the broth and pork while cooking quickly.

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05of 26

Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine with Apricots

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (5)

Savory lamb, salty olives, and ras el hanout (a North African spice blend of coriander, cumin, and a range of warm spices) are balanced by sweet butternut squash, apricots, and a touch of honey.

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06of 26

Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (6)

With its earthy sweetness and dense texture, butternut squash makes a hearty vegetable steak. At Chaval in Portland, Maine, chef Damian Sansonetti highlights its complexity with his chorizo spice mix; he blooms the blend of cumin, Pimentón, and coriander in oil to release their aroma.

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08of 26

Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto, and Thyme

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (8)

This luscious squash-studded savory bread pudding is the ideal accompaniment to roasted meats and poultry. You can also cut it into large squares and serve it as a main course with a green salad on the side.

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09of 26

Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (9)

Chicken quarters roasted with golden squash and sage are nice for a chilly autumn evening. To help the squash brown evenly, be sure to spoon off the fat from the roasting pan after removing the breasts. The butternut squash can be swapped out for your favorite winter squash.

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10of 26

Winter Squash Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (10)

"This classic northern Italian combo of sage, Parmesan, gnocchi, and brown butter is one of my top five desert-island dishes," chef Andrew Zimmern writes. For ease of preparation, the uncooked gnocchi can be made up to a month ahead and frozen.

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11of 26

Mashed Potatoes with Butternut Squash

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (11)

This dish calls for equal parts Yukon Gold potatoes and butternut squash, fabulously enriched with half-and-half and butter. The key to an ultra-fluffy texture is to use a ricer, but you can also pass the potatoes through a food mill or fine-mesh sieve, or very gently mash by hand.

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12of 26

Spice-Roasted Butternut Squash

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (12)

Cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper bring warmth and spice to this simple, tender roasted squash dish.

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13of 26

Gingered Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Pecan Cream

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (13)

Chef Dean Fearing loves the holiday feel of butternut squash, especially when it's combined with ginger, as it is for his smooth, gently sweet soup. He tops it with lightly spiced whipped cream flecked with chopped pecans for contrast, flavor, and some all-important crunch. "I think everything should have a little bit of crunch to it," he says.

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Farfalle with Spicy Sausage and Butternut Squash

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (14)

Sweet butternut squash is the perfect counterpoint to spicy hot Italian sausage in this warming winter pasta.

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15of 26

Baked Butternut Squash and Cheese Polenta

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (15)

This crusty baked polenta is swirled with mashed butternut squash, onion, pine nuts, and smoked Gouda cheese. It's excellent served with sautéed mushrooms, braised greens, or tomato sauce.

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16of 26

Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Pancetta

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Feel free to exchange bacon for pancetta and any type of winter squash for the butternut used in this simple and satisfying risotto.

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17of 26

Butternut Squash-Polenta Gratin

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (17)

Sweet puréed squash comes together with nutty polenta in this warming gratin. The dish can be assembled without its topping and refrigerated up to five days in advance before baking.

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18of 26

Butternut Squash Soup with Crisp Pancetta

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (18)

In this recipe, butternut squash is first buttered, seasoned, and roasted with pancetta slices draped over the top to infuse flavor. The finished soup is pureed until creamy smooth and served with the crispy crumbled pancetta for textural contrast.

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19of 26

Winter Squash with Savoy Cabbage Gratin and Garlic Crema

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (19)

San Francisco chef Matthew Accarrino looks to cornstarch to thicken the creamy milk-based roasted garlic sauce here. It's a rich but nutritious combination of winter squash with cabbage, all topped with crunchy hazelnuts.

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20of 26

Curry-Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpeas

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (20)

After tossing the squash and chickpeas with curry and cayenne, Melissa Rubel Jacobson roasts them, then drizzles the dish with a cooling cilantro-spiked yogurt sauce.

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21of 26

Lentils with Butternut Squash and Merguez Sausage

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (21)

This dish from chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza in San Francisco comes together in four steps, and since the sausage is cooked separately, it's a meal you can serve to both vegetarians and meat-eaters at the same time.

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22of 26

Golden Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash Puree

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (22)

The neck of the butternut squash is easy to peel and cube, making it perfect for easy pasta dishes. This recipe is a great way to use up that pesky bottom half as well — the halved squash is simply baked until soft, and then the flesh is scooped out and mashed so it can be used in the sauce.

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23of 26

Squash Gratin with Poblanos and Cream

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Los Angeles chef Julie Robles makes this cheesy vegetarian gratin in individual dishes with a topping of candied pumpkin seeds. Our simplified version here is for one big gratin garnished with plain toasted pumpkin seeds.

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24of 26

Spice-Roasted Butternut Squash with Herbed Millet and Tahini Dressing

26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (24)

This is the perfect make-ahead meal or dish to take along to a gathering. The squash and tahini sauce can be made a day ahead, while the millet will store happily for a couple of hours.

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Risotto Nero with Squash and Burrata

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Chef Nancy Oakes of San Fransisco's Boulevard makes this gorgeous risotto with Venere black rice, a naturally black short-grain rice. The glossy grains are especially striking served with the golden butternut squash puree and creamy white burrata.

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26of 26

Coconut Chickpeas with Winter Squash

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Starchy, slightly sweet plantains are a natural addition to winter squash. Here, New York chef JJ Johnson simmers both, along with canned chickpeas, in coconut milk that's been steeped with aromatics. The result is creamy, fragrant, and so comforting.

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26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes to Make This Season (2024)

FAQs

What are 3 ways you can eat butternut squash? ›

7 ways to cook with butternut squash
  • Butternut squash soup. ...
  • Spicy squash and spinach soup. ...
  • Roasted butternut squash. ...
  • Butternut squash laksa. ...
  • Moroccan-spiced tomato sauce with roast vegetables and chickpeas. ...
  • Beef and butternut squash moussaka. ...
  • Chilled toffee apple creams.

How does Gordon Ramsay cook butternut squash? ›

In a large bowl mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.

What season is best for butternut squash? ›

When is butternut squash in season? Butternut squash are harvested in late summer and autumn, but because they keep so well, they can be found all year round.

What flavors go well with butternut squash? ›

You could do roasted butternut squash with pecans, cranberries, cinnamon, brown sugar etc. This Roasted Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries is a fall-fabulous dish that will add a lovely twist as a dinner side dish.

What does butternut squash do for the gut? ›

Butternut squash contains considerable amounts of fiber, which can help you keep a healthy weight and regulate bowel movements. It's known to help prevent colorectal cancer while the beta-carotene in butternut squash can also improve eye health.

How to cook butternut squash Martha Stewart? ›

Halve butternut squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place cut sides up in a roasting pan (to help it sit level, slice a thin strip from skin sides). Fill each cavity with butter and pure maple syrup; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Roast until fork-tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

How to cook butternut squash Paula Deen? ›

directions
  1. In a medium saucepan combine squash, onions, carrots,broth, and salt. Simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes.
  2. Puree soup in a blender or food processor with the butter. Whisk cream into soup. Serve in wide, shallow bowls with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

How does Jamie Oliver cook butternut squash? ›

Method. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Wash and dry the whole squash, then place on a baking tray. Pierce once or twice with the tip of a sharp knife, then bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until golden and very soft.

Is butternut squash anti inflammatory? ›

Nutritional Benefits of Butternut Squash

It contains zeaxanthin and lutein, two powerful antioxidants that support vision. Butternut Squash's high antioxidant content may have anti-inflammatory benefits, helping to reduce your risk of inflammation-related disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.

Is butternut squash good for arthritis? ›

7. Butternut Squash: Butternut squash is a superb source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and fiber, all of which can contribute to lower inflammation levels. Blend butternut squash into soups or roast it with a touch of cinnamon for a sweet and savory side dish.

What do British people call butternut squash? ›

The vegetable squash that Americans are used to is a relative newcomer to Britain. It's usually called by its varietal name - butternut squash, acorn squash - and sometimes orange fleshed vegetables that would be called squash in the USA are lumped together as pumpkin.

Why does my butternut squash taste bland? ›

If it's underripe, the squash won't have developed its signature taste. If it's overripe, it may be dry, mushy or flavorless. Follow these tips the next time you're at the grocery store or farmers market to find the perfect recipe-ready butternut squash.

How do you give squash more flavor? ›

Brown Nicely When cooking summer squash, don't be afraid of a little browning. A nicely browned surface adds great flavor. 5. Partner Strategically Finally, balance squash's milder taste with stronger flavors like chilies, curry, ginger, garlic, lemon, goat cheese and so on.

What meat goes with butternut squash? ›

What to Serve with Roasted Butternut Squash
  • Pork. These Crock Pot Pork Chops would be excellent paired with roasted butternut squash.
  • Chicken. ...
  • Pasta. ...
  • Roasted butternut squash is also delicious with any holiday main: roast chicken, roast turkey, ham, prime rib; whatever your family loves!

How is butternut eaten? ›

Raw butternut squash is carrot-like and holds up well in crunchy salads and slaws. If opting for raw squash over cooked squash, start by peeling away the tough outer skin (FYI, you can eat the skin when it's cooked. It's full of fiber and completely edible when softened up a bit).

What is the best way to eat squash? ›

I love to grill it, roast it, and even eat it raw, but lately, I've been hooked on this sautéed yellow squash recipe. Yellow squash itself has a mild flavor, so I toss it with a bright herb oil as soon as it comes off the heat. Then, I pile on a savory panko topping for crunch.

What is the best way to can butternut squash? ›

Caution: do not mash or puree!

To can pumpkin or squash: Cut the flesh into 1-inch cubes. Boil the cubes in water for 2 minutes. Fill the jars with cubes and cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch of headspace.

Is butternut squash better cooked or raw? ›

First of all, neither one is typically eaten raw. Cooking makes the nutrients easier to absorb and the squash easier to chew and swallow. The principal difference is that a butternut is starchier than an acorn. This makes it smoother in texture, which gives it more versatility in how it is cooked or served.

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