Roasted Butternut Squash with Cinnamon & Nutmeg Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to peel butternut squash when roasting? ›

You can either roast butternut squash in its skin, halved, or cut into wedges. It can be served stuffed as a stunning main, as a simple side dish, stirred into risottos, pasta or salads, or blitzed into a soup. By peeling and dicing, the cubes of squash will become more caramelised, with plenty of texture.

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

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.

Place the squash in one layer in a roasting tray and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the seeds, cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the skin of the squash is soft, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes until the squash is golden and crisp.

Cook at 400 degrees — hot — until the squash releases its juices and they are bubbly and brown around the edges. This is a sign that the sugars in the squash have caramelized and its flavor concentrated.

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.

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.

Place scrubbed and clean butternut squash onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 400 F for approximately 1 hour or more, depending on size. The skin should start to collapse when it's ready; a sharp knife will easily slip out when pierced. Cool for 20 minutes or so, and then peel off the skin.

And the good news is that you don't even have to cut into a butternut squash to tell if it's ready to eat or not. You can tell if your butternut squash is ripe by the color and texture of the outer rind. If there are any green spots, it's definitely not ready to cook.

Why is my roasted butternut squash mushy? ›

Squashes behave very differently when cooked in the oven or on the stovetop. Generally, a squash that is roasted in the oven is going to have a much softer texture, one that can get mushy if mixed with other ingredients, but making it ideal for a purée, soup, or being mashed.

Most recipes say to either bake or roast butternut squash—but what's the difference? While both cooking methods will turn the tough, raw gourd into a soft, sweet ingredient, roasting butternut squash is the more common process for achieving browned, crispy edges and a creamy interior.

Microwave Hack for Easier Butternut Squash Peeling

Simply slice off the top and bottom, poke the squash all over with a fork and microwave it on high for about 3 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, peel the squash. The softened flesh will make peeling (and slicing) way easier.

The key to avoiding watery butternut squash is to roast it rather than steam it. Steaming butternut squash causes the vegetable to absorb more water and doesn't impart much flavor. Roasting the squash prevents this and caramelizes the vegetable's natural sugars, adding another layer of flavor to your dish.

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. You can also roast the seeds and eat them as a snack or sprinkled over a finished dish.

Use a sharp knife (or a sturdy vegetable peeler) to carefully remove the skin. Alternatively, the skin can stay on because it's edible when roasted! But if adding to a soup (or recipe where it won't be roasted), remove and discard.

Depending on what type of squash you are using you might not need to peel it, with thinner skinned squash such as butternut squash you can eat the skin. For thicker skinned squash it is often easier to cut the squash into large wedges, roast, and then peel the skin off after it's cooked when it's softer and easier.

No pre-peeling, chopping or deseeding (yes really!). Just whole-roast it in the oven until soft and tender. Use for creamy butternut squash soup, ravioli filling and incredible muffins!