22 Delicious Butternut Squash Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to cook butternut squash Paula Deen? ›

How does Gordon Ramsay cook butternut squash? He first tosses the butternut squash in oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper and then cooks it in the oven at 400°F for about 25 minutes.

Butternut squash – Depending on the size, whole butternut squash can yield between 1 ½ cups for a small squash to 3 cups or so for a medium to a larger one. Take this into account when choosing a butternut squash for your recipe.

For a basic butternut squash recipe, halve the squash, scoop out the seeds and chop into chunks. You don't have to remove the skin — it will go soft and sweet as the squash cooks — just make sure you wash it well before cooking. Roast at 180°C for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden and soft.

Can You Eat Butternut Squash Skin? It's important to note that while many people choose to remove butternut squash skin (and this is best practice for soup making, where you want smooth results), you can 100% eat roasted butternut squash skin. Slice butternut squash into crescents and roast it with the skin on.

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.

Butternut squash offers nutritional values like vitamin A, potassium, and fiber. Health benefits of this winter squash include managing high blood pressure, preventing asthma, and promoting healthy skin and hair. Contrary to the name, winter squash is grown in the summer and harvested in the fall.

When taken by mouth: Butternut is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people, but it can cause diarrhea and irritation of the stomach and intestines. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's LIKELY UNSAFE to use butternut in large amounts if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. It might stimulate the bowels too much.

How do you prepare butternut squash for eating? ›

Chop off the stem and slice the squash in half vertically. Set the cut side of the halves facing up, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. If your squash is too hard to safely cut, pop it in the microwave or warm it in the oven for a few minutes until slightly softened.

Helpful squash equivalents:

1/3 to 1/2 pound raw unpeeled squash = 1 serving. 1 pound peeled squash = 1 cup cooked, mashed. 2-1/2 pounds whole squash = 2-3/4 to 3 cups pureed. 1 pound trimmed squash = 2 cups cooked pieces.

Assuming that each portion is about 4 ounces (4 oz of squash per person), you will need about 5 lbs of squash. If you want there to be leftovers or you think folks will eat more than 4 ounces each (maybe some of your guests have bigger appetites), you will want to cook more than just 5 lbs.

How to cook Butternut squash. You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups.

Is it better to roast butternut squash face up or down? I personally prefer to roast my butternut squash with the cut-side-up. In my opinion, roasting it cut-side-up allows for the butternut squash to caramelize, rather than just steam and cook.

That's why it's important that you wash all winter squash with warm water and soap before you place it on the cutting board for prep. When you place an unwashed squash on your cutting board or cut through the potentially contaminated surface with your knife, you're pulling germs right into the part you're going to eat.

The squash also retains most of its nutrients when it is steamed and has a wonderfully sweet butternuttiness to it. Steamed butternut can also be used in a variety of ways – added to salads, mashed, puréed or enjoyed as is with a simple seasoning of your choice.