Butternut squash shown here with other root vegetables.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
This is also a very common squash that can be found in the grocery store. It can be cut in half and prepared like the acorn squash. When it is done cooking you can let it cool slightly and then using a large spoon remove the cooked squash to a bowl and mash it with a little maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste. Some people like to add a little butter but I don’t usually do that.
I have found that if time allows I prefer to remove the peel and oven roast cubes of butternut squash. The oven roasting allows the natural sugars in the squash to come out and caramelize and the flavor is sweeter, I also prefer the texture of the squash when it is prepared this way. It is a little more work because you have to get that tough peel off. You can use a sharp knife if you are skilled at doing so and don’t have to worry about slipping and cutting yourself. Or if you are more like me you might want to get a good vegetable peeler for this job. I have found the type of peeler shown below to be the most affective for this job. This is a vegetable peeler made by Kitchenaid. This peeler allows you to get a firm grip and pull with some force the full length of the squash. It works great!
Once you have the butternut squash peeled, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and dice into even pieces. At this point the squash is ready to use in soups or ready to oven roast.
Oven Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1 butternut squash
- Olive Oil Spray
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- rimmed baking sheet
- aluminum foil
Preheat the oven to 425°. Cover a baking sheet with foil, spray with olive oil spray, peel squash and cube it. Season squash with salt and pepper, spread it out on baking sheet and oven roast for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Stir once half way through baking time.
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