Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Recipe | Wicked Spatula (2024)

FAQs

Can you leave the skin on 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.

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.

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.

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from the center. To cut the butternut squash into cubes, first cut it into slices horizontally, then cut each slice into cubes. To make this step faster, you can stack two or three slices at a time and then cut them into cubes together.

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.

Roast the squash whole (at 425°F for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on size, until you can easily pierce through the center of the long end with a paring knife), and then cut it (or even tear it with your bare hands once it's cooled down a little). Roasting butternut squash whole does have a few disadvantages.

Extreme cold, heat, drought or too much irrigation, or even a lack of plant nutrients, excessive pest infestation or disease can all create these elevated levels of cucurbitacin in the squash resulting in a bitter flavor.

White mold severely affects pumpkins and some varieties of winter squash. The disease infects both stems and fruit. White mold often infects pumpkin through the blossom end of the fruit. Stem infections start where cotyledons are fading or where the plant has wounds.

Start with salt and pepper. As always, go slowly when seasoning, but you may well find that squash requires a little more salt and pepper than usual. You'll also get better results by seasoning before cooking, so the flavor can better permeate the squash.

Butternut squash contains a sticky, sap-like substance that is released when the fruit (squash is technically a fruit) is cut. The liquid is so strong that it can harden into protective scab if the squash becomes cut or damaged—much like a tree.

Why does my butternut squash have no flavor? ›

If it's underripe, the squash won't have developed its signature taste. If it's overripe, it may be dry, mushy or flavorless.

Prep: Peel and cube the butternut squash. Season: Toss the butternut squash cubes with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Roast: Arrange the seasoned cubes on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven until the squash is lightly browned and tender.

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.

That's right, you can eat butternut squash raw (yep, we said it). Raw butternut squash is carrot-like and holds up well in crunchy salads and slaws. If opting for raw squash over cooked squash, start by peeling away the tough outer skin (FYI, you can eat the skin when it's cooked.

Can You Eat Butternut Squash Skin? It's important to note that while many people choose to remove butternut squash skin (and this is best practice for soup making, where you want smooth results), you can 100% eat roasted butternut squash skin. Slice butternut squash into crescents and roast it with the skin on.

Some squash skin is edible, while other types of squash have tough skin that can be removed before cooking. Remove the skin of butternut, hubbard, buttercup, and turban squash. If you enjoy the taste, leave the skin on acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, and zucchini squash.

Consider that 1 cup of baked butternut squash, one of the most popular varieties of winter squash, provides 160% of your daily recommended value of vitamin A, along with 7 grams of fiber – and if you eat the peel, you'll get a little extra.