Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a sweet, pear-shaped winter squash with dense orange flesh, one of the most widely used squashes for roasting, pureeing, and stuffing. Its thick skin and sturdy flesh make it easy to store and keep on hand through the colder months.
How to buy
Choose squash that feels heavy for its size, with a matte (not glossy) tan skin, no soft spots, cracks, or mold near the stem. A dull finish usually signals good ripeness.
How to store
Keep whole squash in a cool, dark pantry spot, where it can last 1-3 months. Once cut, refrigerate in a sealed container for a few days, or freeze cooked or raw cubes for longer storage.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Sweet and nutty, similar to sweet potato or pumpkin, with flavor that deepens and caramelizes significantly when roasted.
- Texture
- Dense and firm raw, requiring a sturdy knife to cut through the skin. Becomes creamy and tender once roasted or boiled, making it easy to puree or mash.
- Aroma
- A mild, sweet, nutty smell that becomes noticeably more pronounced once roasted.
How to prepare
- Roasted in cubes — Peeled, cubed, and roasted until caramelized at the edges and tender inside.
- Pureed into soup — Roasted or boiled and blended with stock into a smooth, velvety soup.
- Mashed — Boiled or roasted until soft, then mashed as a side dish or pie filling.
- Spiralized into noodles — Cut into long strands as a low-carb pasta substitute.
- Stuffed — Halved and roasted, then filled with grains, cheese, or meat.
Classic dishes
American
- Butternut squash soup — A smooth, creamy soup made by roasting or simmering squash and blending it with stock.
- Butternut squash mac and cheese — A squash puree blended into cheese sauce for extra sweetness and color in a classic baked pasta.
- Butternut squash pie — A custard pie made from pureed squash in place of pumpkin, spiced similarly.
- Squash and black bean chili — A hearty chili bulked up with cubed squash alongside black beans.
- Stuffed roasted squash with quinoa — Halved squash filled with a grain and vegetable stuffing and baked until tender.
Italian
- Ravioli di zucca — Pasta parcels filled with sweetened squash puree, often seasoned with nutmeg and amaretti cookie crumbs.
- Risotto alla zucca — A creamy autumn risotto where squash is cooked down into the rice until it turns golden and soft.
- Roasted squash with sage and brown butter — Roasted squash cubes finished with crispy fried sage leaves and browned butter.
- Butternut squash gnocchi — Potato-style gnocchi made with squash puree worked into the dough for color and sweetness.
Mexican
- Squash empanadas — Pastry pockets filled with mashed squash, sometimes sweetened or spiced.
Indian
- Kaddu ki sabzi — A spiced squash side dish cooked with mustard seeds, turmeric, and chili.
French
- Gratin de courge — Sliced squash baked in cream with a browned cheese crust.
- Velouté de courge — A smooth, pureed squash soup finished with cream.
Thai
- Thai red curry with squash — Cubed squash simmered in coconut milk and red curry paste until tender.
Middle Eastern
- Moroccan squash tagine — Squash braised slowly with warm spices, dried fruit, and sometimes chickpeas.
- Squash and chickpea stew — Cubed squash simmered with chickpeas and tomato into a filling, spiced stew.
Substitutions
- Acorn Squash — Slightly less sweet and starchy; use in equal amounts for roasting or soups, though acorn's skin is usually left on and discarded rather than peeled.
- Delicata Squash — Thinner-skinned and a bit less dense; good for roasting in rings, though it yields less flesh per squash than butternut.