With everything from how to make the perfect roasted butternut squash, delicious pasta dishes, side dish recipes, soup and more. So grab your fork and let’s tuck in!
Health Benefits of Butternut Squash
Also known as butternut pumpkin in Australia and New Zealand, butternut squash is a winter vegetable that has a mildly sweet, nutty flavour. Because of it’s subtle flavour it can be used in a range of dishes from sweet to savoury. It’s a great way of adding extra nutrients into different foods like muffins, loaves, salads, pasta bakes and more.
Butternut squash has is nutritionally rich. I’ll pop some of the nutrients it’s particularly high in below:
- carotenoids, including beta carotene, which are pro-vitamin A, leading to production of more vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is an antioxidant and is needed for eye health, cell health, bone and health and immune function.
- dietary fibre, which is important for maintaining digestive health and heart health.
- folate, a nutrient needed for energy production and red blood cell production.
- minerals – potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron
How to Prepare Butternut Squash
Unlike some squash and pumpkin varieties, the skin is not very palatable once cooked. To peel the butternut squash you can either use a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife. If using a sharp knife, cut each end off of the butternut squash first and cut in half across the centre to make it easier. Then stand one piece up and carefully slice the skin of with a sharp knife while holding the butternut squash upright. Having to peel the butternut squash does add to the prep time but it is well worth it. Once you have peeled your butternut squash you can use it in a variety of ways (see the recipe ideas below).
Ingredients that Pair Well with Butternut Squash
Because butternut squash has a subtle flavour, it goes well with a variety of other foods. I love pairing butternut squash with sage and butter. It is really lovely roasted in the oven in some olive oil and pure maple syrup or honey with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper. Or steam it up with some garlic and then mash to serve alongside roast chicken. Or roast butternut squash cubes and make a salad with goat cheese, leafy greens and a homemade salad dressing. The flavour combinations are endless!
The Basics
Roasted Butternut Squash in Air Fryer
Roasting butternut squash in the air fryer is a quick, easy and delicious way to roast this vegetable. Made in half of the time that it takes in the oven! This beautiful roasted squash is perfect for soups, stews, curries, salads or as a healthy and tasty side dish.
How to Make Butternut Squash in the Oven
Roasting butternut squash in the oven is easy and a delicious way to bring out the natural sweetness and nutty flavor of this vegetable. This beautiful roasted squash is perfect for soups, stews, curries, salads or as a healthy and tasty side dish.
How to Make Pumpkin Puree (without the oven)
A quick and easy way to make pumpkin puree without the use of an oven! Use pumpkin puree for a range of sweet or savory dishes or as an excellent first baby food! This recipes makes approximately 400 grams. Use either butternut squash or your choice of pumpkin for this recipe.
Salads
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
A colourful Winter salad made from roasted butternut squash, quick pickled red onions, toasted nuts and seeds and drizzled in a delicious lemon dijon dressing.
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
Tender roasted butternut squash paired with fluffy quinoa, walnuts, pomegranate arils and rocket, drizzled with a maple dijon dressing. This salad is perfect for the get-togethers or to meal prep for healthy lunches throughout the week.
Butternut Squash and Feta Salad with Candied Pecans
A showstopper salad that is perfect for the Christmas table. There’s nothing I like more than to wow my guests with a beautiful salad that tastes amazing. With perfectly roasted and tender butternut squash, crisp apples and peppery rocket, topped with salty crumbled feta and crunchy candied pecans, this Butternut Squash and Feta Salad does just that.
Winter Quinoa Salad
A delicious mix of roasted winter vegetables, fluffy quinoa, kale and toasted nuts, all dressed in a dijon dressing. This salad is not only delicious but healthy too!
Snacks
Butternut Squash Fritters
Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, these Butternut Squash Fritters are my new favourite way of eating this delicious vegetable! Perfect as an appetizer, side dish, light meal or anytime snack!
Soup
3 Ingredient Butternut Squash Soup
Sometimes the most delicious meals are the most simple, and this creamy 3-Ingredient Butternut Squash Soup is proof of that. With just 3 simple ingredients you can have a deliciously creamy bowl of comforting soup, perfect for those cool days and Winter months. Serve with crusty bread for the ultimate comfort food this soup season!
Roasted Butternut and Carrot Soup
If you’re looking for a hearty soup that fills you up with few ingredients then you need to try my Roasted Butternut Squash Carrot Soup. Butternut squash and carrot compliment each other perfectly in this rich, thick and smooth soup, while roasting the vegetables gives a real depth of flavor and a velvety texture.
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Butternut Squash Thai Curry Soup
This Butternut Squash Thai Curry Soup recipe is vegan, light, creamy, and easy to make. It comes together in one pot and it is perfect for a weeknight meal or your weekly meal prep.
Recipe: Foolproof Living
Mains
Butternut Squash Sausage Pasta Bake
If you’re like me and love a pasta bake then you’re going to want to make this Butternut Squash and Sausage Pasta Bake. The highlights? Al dente pasta, flavoursome chicken sausage, tender steamed butternut squash and finely chopped kale stirred through a creamy sauce made from garlic, leeks and butter.
Brown Butter Miso Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Comfort food but make it healthy. This silky smooth butternut squash pasta sauce is made with just 9 simple ingredients. Pour this creamy sauce over your favourite pasta or ravioli for a simple yet deliciously healthy dinner.
Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry with Coconut Milk
A delicious and wholesome curry, this chickpea and butternut squash curry is the perfect budget friendly meal. Making 8-10 serves, this curry is great to meal prep and freeze for easy and quick dinners throughout the week. This recipe is vegan and dairy free.
Brown Butter Ravioli with Butternut Squash
This delicious vegetarian meal is totally filling and delicious! Brown Butter Ravioli with Butternut Squash, sage, and pecans is a simple, yet elegant fall dish. Perfect for special occasions or any night!
Recipe: Two Peas and Their Pod
Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo
This Butternut Squash Orzo is comforting and cozy! The combination of sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage, and the subtle warmth of nutmeg creates a complex, layered flavor profile that feels both indulgent and refined. The orzo pasta is cooked in one pot, adding the perfect bite.
Recipe: Cucina by Elena
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
This Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna is a deliciously layered sheet pan meal combining roasted butternut squash, fresh spinach, and creamy ricotta between sheets of tender lasagna noodles. Baked to golden perfection, it’s a cozy, vegetarian twist on a classic sheet pan lasagna that’s perfect for feeding a crowd.
Recipe: Bon Appeteach
Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
Skip the store-bought gnocchi and try this soft and pillowy Butternut Squash Gnocchi at home! It’s made entirely from scratch, then pan-fried until golden in a creamy butter sauce made with toasted walnuts and fried sage leaves. It’s the perfect comforting main dish for special occasions, date nights in, and celebrating the fall season!
Recipe: From My Bowl
Butternut Squash Chili with White Beans
This Butternut Squash Chili with White Beans is filled with fresh squash, creamy white beans, bold spices, and a savory broth that melds all of the flavors together. It’s creamy, smoky, and the perfect cozy bowl of chili to warm you up during the cold days of fall and winter.
Recipe: From My Bowl
Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage with Butternut Squash
Chicken apple sausage, butternut squash, & Brussels sprouts are tossed in a quick maple dressing, then roast with pancetta & pine nuts to crispy, caramelly perfection. This hearty chicken sausage sheet pan is filled with the bold, rich flavors of fall. Better yet, it’s so simple to throw together – less than 15 minutes of active work, & it’s totally meal prep, make-ahead, & weeknight-friendly!
Recipe: Plays Well With Butter
Chicken in Butternut Squash Mushroom Cream Sauce
Chicken in butternut squash and mushroom cream sauce. Imagine juicy chicken breasts seared until golden and served in a delicious butternut squash sauce. This chicken is made in one skillet with mushrooms, fresh sage and a handful of Parmesan. Rich, creamy and super hearty, this truly is a winning dinner.
Recipe: Serving Dumplings
Butternut Squash Butter Chicken
If you’re looking for a simple butter chicken recipe, look no further! This recipe has many elements of a traditional Indian butter chicken, but with a little secret ingredient to lighten it up: butternut squash.
Recipe: Kitchen Confidante
Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
This butternut squash stuffed shells is a creamy and comforting meal. Delicious fall flavors of sage and butternut squash mixed with ricotta cheese are stuffed into pasta shells and covered in a homemade béchamel sauce.
Recipe: The Dizzy Cook
Butternut Squash Quesadilla
Squash season is upon us, and we’re ready to fall into flavor with these quesadillas filled with sweet and nutty butternut squash, caramelized onions and black beans.
Recipe: The Modern Proper
Leek and Squash Quiche
With sautéed leeks, butternut squash and feta cheese, this Leek and Squash Quiche is a delicious vegetarian breakfast or light lunch! Best of all, it’s an easy-to-follow recipe with just 10 ingredients.
Recipe: Crowded Kitchen
Butternut Squash Pizza
For this cozy fall pie, sweet butternut squash is thinly sliced allowing for it to get extra soft in the oven and complement the creamy béchamel sauce and tangy goat cheese. Crispy fried sage and a delightfully chewy crust provide great texture with every bite that is rounded out with a sweet and spicy kick from a drizzle of hot honey.
Recipe: Justine Snacks
Sides
Maple Mashed Butternut Squash
This mashed butternut squash features tender roasted butternut squash mashed with a rich maple butter sauce and topped with lots of fresh thyme. – it’s the easiest squash side dish!
Recipe: Whole and Heavenly Oven
Hasselback Butternut Squash
Hasselback butternut squash, with it’s maple-balsamic glaze is easy to make but very impressive. Perfect for your holiday meal or a weekend roast, this soft roasted butternut is topped with pangrattato and crispy sage leaves.
Recipe: Sugar Salt Magic
Baked Butternut with Apples, Couscous and Burrata
Baked butternut with lots of cheese, couscous and roasted apples with melted burrata.
This is a delicious combo of a hearty filling and slow cooked butternut. The flavors are great, the texture is exquisite and it looks simply fantastic. Delicious with a salad as lunch or as a side dish with meat.
Recipe: Serving Dumplings
Sweets
Butternut Custard Cake
In this cake thin butternut slices turn into a soft, sweet and custardy Thanksgiving cake that is a perfect pairing to pumpkin pie. It tastes deeply autumnal, with a layered look that is sure to impress everyone (with barely any work!).
Recipe: Justine Snacks
Butternut Squash Bread with Crumb Topping
This Butternut Squash Bread is a delicious twist on pumpkin bread with homemade butternut squash puree and topped with a buttery crumb topping and an easy maple glaze. You’ll love the soft and tender texture and warming flavours of cinnamon and ginger in this loaf!
Recipe: Crumb Top Baking
Chocolate Butternut Squash Muffins
These chocolate butternut squash muffins are moist and tender with a rich chocolate flavor. They’re completely flourless – made with pureed butternut squash, eggs, cacao powder and almond butter. In addition, these squash muffins are gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly.
Recipe: Bake it Paleo
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