Cooking butternut squash with a tough, thick shell can seem daunting. But once you learn a few simple tricks, it’s easy to prepare this orange-fleshed winter staple. Use butternut squash in soups and pasta dishes, or just roast it in the shell with a drizzle of butter and a little honey.
What do you need to cook butternut squash
Use butternut squash in soups and pasta dishes, or just roast it in the shell with a drizzle of butter and a little honey. You just need a few extra ingredients: olive oil, salt and pepper.
First, peel and dice the butternut squash
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1. Cut off both ends of the squash.
Matt Armendariz, 2014, Food Network Television, GP All Rights Reserved
2. Peel the pumpkin. Wearing an apron, hold the squash against your chest for stability. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin, working in your direction.
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3. Halve the pumpkin. Put the squash on the cutting board. Hold the squash ball firmly with one hand. Another, use a large knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise. Place half of the squash on a cutting board, meat side up. Using a spoon (a serrated grapefruit spoon works well), scoop out the seeds and pulp from each squash half. At this point, you can cut the whole pumpkin in half if desired, or continue with step 4 for dicing.
Matt Armendariz, 2014, Food Network Television, GP All Rights Reserved
4. Dice the pumpkin. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Cut each portion in half, then quarter, then dice.
Now that you’ve broken down the squash, you can bake, microwave, or roast it for use in recipes or as a side dish.
How to Microwave Butternut Squash
1. Butter and season the squash. Fill the cavity of each squash with a pat of butter, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with brown sugar or honey.
2. Use a microwave-safe dish. Then, place the cut pumpkin half on a piece of microwave-safe plastic wrap directly on a microwave-safe plate.
3. Cook the squash on high every 5 minutes. It’s done when it’s fully softened and cooked through, or about 10 minutes total. Your cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash.
4. Finish in the oven until caramelized (optional). If you like the varnish of the pumpkin, put it in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until it caramelizes.
How to Roast Half a Butternut Squash
1. Butter and season the squash. Place half of the butternut squash on a large baking sheet, meat side up. Then, season with salt and pepper, place a dollop of butter in the middle of each squash half, sprinkle with brown sugar or drizzle honey on top.
2. Bake in a 400°F oven. Roast the squash for 25 minutes, or until the pulp is tender.
How to Roast Chopped Butternut Squash
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1. Prepare to bake. Now that you’ve broken down the squash, you can bake it into recipes or enjoy it as a side dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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2. Pour the cubes into the oil to taste. Place the squash cubes on the pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat. Make sure there is a little space around each cube so they caramelize properly.
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3. Bake until fork tender. Roast squash until tender, turning once with a metal spatula, 25 to 30 minutes.
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