Roasting butternut squash is easy — just cut in half, remove the seeds, rub some oil with salt and pepper, lay flesh down in the oven tray and roast for about 40 mins till the flesh is tender. Cool a little and scoop out the soft flesh.
With the seasons changing, a warm bowl of soup is all I need to warm my body in the chilly evenings and butternut squash happens to be the veggie of the season (along with pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes, and all those beautiful orange autumn-ness). It is one of my favorite fall vegetables. Great for salads, stews, soups, curries This is a simple method of roasting butternut squash in the oven without needing to peel it.
I do peel, cut, and then toss the butternut squash in oil and herbs for roasting for recipes where I want the squash pieces intact like for my butternut squash stew or when adding to roasted vegetable salads. But peeling a raw squash does take a lot of time and in recipes where I need the squash mashed, or puréed or where I am going to blend it all in the end, I find this method of cutting the butternut squash in half and roasting directly more convenient.
How to cut a butternut squash?
The first time I saw a butternut squash, I was wondering how to start with it. How do I even begin to cut it let alone how to roast it! Until I realized that the first thing one needs to cut a butternut squash is a big sharp knife! In the video, you can see, how it is easy to cut the squash in half lengthwise if you have a long sharp knife.
How to store butternut squash purée?
If you want to use only a small quantity for a recipe at hand, you can purée the roasted butternut squash flesh and store in airtight jars. Freeze the purée for upto a month or store in the fridge for 2-3 days. Sometimes I prefer freezing them in ice-cube trays (a trick I use for freezing fresh ginger). That way I can add just a little of butternut squash purée in a regular curry recipe for a sweet autumn-y twist!
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How to cut and roast a butternut squash
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- 2 whole butternut squashes
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
How to cut a butternut squash
- Firmly hold the squash with your left hand (or right hand if you are left-handed) chop off the head.
- Then run your knife through the length of the squash, going as much inside as you easily can. You would definitely need some strength in this.
- Now just run it through it and it will split in half easily.
How to roast a butternut squash
- Pre-heat oven to 200ºC
- Cut the butternut squash in half (see just 2 steps above for how-to)
- Remove the seeds using this awesome scooper!
- Drizzle olive oil on the butternut squash halves
- Sprinkle some salt.
- Turn them flesh side down.
- Roast for about 40 mins.
- Test if the flesh is tender.
- Remove and Let cool for 10 mins.
- Scoop out the flesh with a spoon or a scooper. Use a kitchen towel to hold the squashes if they are hot to handle.
- Use in soups, stews, or purée for use in baking and sauces.
Video
Notes
- You can use the same method for roasting pumpkins in an oven.
- Nutritional Information is for 1 cup of roasted butternut squash mash.
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