Butternut squash brings a taste of fall to the table

 

Fall is practically synonymous with squash, and one of the favorites is butternut squash.

It’s a nutrient-dense food that is naturally low in fat and cholesterol, rich in vitamins, particularly vitamins A and C, and minerals such as potassium and magnesium.

It’s also high in fiber and loaded with antioxidants that help protect against chronic diseases. 

Butternut squash is versatile. It can be roasted, steamed, boiled or sautéed and used in a wide variety of sweet and savory dishes, including soups, pastas, salads and baked goods. 

Roasting is a favorite way to prepare it since it enhances the squash’s natural sweetness and flavor.

Butternut squash pairs well with a variety of sweet and savory flavors, including herbs like sage and rosemary, warm spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, and savory ingredients like garlic, bacon and Parmesan cheese. 

It complements sweet elements such as maple syrup, brown sugar or apples and acidic ingredients such as balsamic vinegar or lemon zest. 

When shopping for butternut squash, look for one that feels heavy for its size, is a uniform tan or beige color without green patches and has a hard skin that resists your fingernail. The stem should be firm and dark brown.

When making butternut squash, you can remove the skin by using a sharp vegetable peeler. If that’s too difficult, microwave the squash for a few minutes to soften it slightly.

Cooked butternut squash can be kept for three or four days in the refrigerator or three to four months in the freezer.

You can store cooked, mashed squash in a zipper-top freezer bag in the freezer. To freeze cooked butternut squash cubes, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then place them in a freezer bag. 

Following are a few recipes for butternut squash from www.

 

Fall Weeknight Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounce guanciale or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice

8 ounces butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 bunch Tuscan kale, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 pound orecchiette

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Salt

Pepper

Place guanciale and butternut squash on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, then stir to coat. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, then stir in kale, and roast another 10 minutes.

Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook orecchiette according to directions until al dente. Drain, then return to the pot. Add contents of the sheet pan and toss with Pecorino Romano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

Asian Golden Butternut Squash With Garlic and Ginger

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoon minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

4 cup butternut squash, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes

Toasted sesame oil

Heat large skillet over medium heat, then add vegetable oil. Saute scallions two to three minutes, stir in garlic and cook another minute. Add ginger and crushed red pepper and cook another minute, then add soy sauce.

Stir to combine, then add butternut squash and saute 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Just before serving, drizzle with toasted sesame oil.

 

 

Butternut Squash, Bacon and Spinach Hash

1  medium-sized butternut squash

6  slices bacon, diced into 1-inch pieces

16 ounces  spinach

1 cup  chicken stock

2 tablespoon  Herbes de Provence

Cut squash in half width-wise. Place chicken stock or water in the bottom of an Instant Pot and place squash in the steamer basket. Set for 10 minutes on high pressure.

When done, perform a quick release and place squash on a cutting board to cool

After it has cooled five to 10 minutes, peel and cut squash into 1-1/2-inch chunks.

Sauté bacon in large skillet over medium heat. Once fat has rendered and bacon is mostly cooked, drain three-quarters of the fat into a heat-proof jar or can. Lower heat and add spinach. Cook until slightly wilted, but still raw. Add squash and gently combine with spinach and bacon until distributed evenly

Mix in herbes de Provence and cover. Cook five minutes over low heat and serve.

 

 

Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Penne Pasta

1 tablespoon  olive oil

1  butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

1 pound  whole wheat penne pasta

1 cup  chopped shallots

1  garlic clove, minced

1  10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1 cup  buttermilk

1/2 cup  milk

2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup  freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Dip a pastry brush in olive oil and evenly brush flesh side of the squash halves. Place them, flesh side down, on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender. Cool 10 minutes, then remove flesh with a spoon and mash with a fork until smooth.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander, then return to the pot and keep warm.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet. Saute shallots five to seven minutes, until tender. Add garlic and cook one minute. Add spinach and roasted mashed butternut squash, then stir in buttermilk, milk, rosemary and salt and stir two  minutes, until smooth. 

Mix pasta and sauce until the sauce evenly coats all the ingredients. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each serving.

Makes 6 servings.

 

 

Butternut Squash Puree With Honey Sage Butter

1  butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoon  extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon  salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoon butter

16  fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon  honey

On a large cooking sheet, combine butternut squash, oil and salt. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven.

Push squash pieces through a ricer into a large bowl. Stir in milk and cream and set aside.

In a shallow pan on the stovetop, melt butter over medium heat. Once it starts foaming, skim the foam.

Raise heat to medium high, then drop sage leaves into butter in batches, submerging them five to 10 seconds, until crisp but not brown. Remove leaves one by one and set aside. Repeat with remaining sage leaves.

Remove pan from heat, stir in honey and then pour butter mixture over the squash. Top with fried sage leaves and serve.

 

 

Ricotta Crostini With Butternut Squash and Crispy Sage

1-1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta

2 tablespoon  heavy cream

Zest of 1/2 lemon, optional

1/4 teaspoon  salt, plus more

Freshly ground black pepper

1  baguette, sliced

4 tablespoon  olive oil, plus more

2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon maple syrup

30  sage leaves

Flaky sea salt

Whisk ricotta, heavy cream and zest in a mixing bowl until combined. Add salt and a few cranks of black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Lay the baguette slices on a sheet pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toast in a 425-degree oven six minutes, until golden brown.

In a large bowl, toss squash with two tablespoons  olive oil and the maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast 25 to 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender. Let cool on sheet.

Heat remaining oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add sage leaves and cook one to two minutes, until edges begin to curl and turn dark green. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer to paper towels to drain.

Spread ricotta mixture over toasted baguette slices. Add a spoonful of roasted butternut squash and crispy sage leaf to each crostini, then drizzle with olive oil and season with freshly cracked black pepper and flaky sea salt.

 

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Queso

2 cup  butternut squash, cubed

2 tablespoon  olive oil

1 teaspoon  cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Salt 

Pepper

3 tablespoon butter

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 tablespoon  flour

2 cup whole milk

1 cup sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup pepper Jack or Monterey cheese, shredded

1 to 2  chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Cilantro, chopped

Scallions, chopped

Serrano pepper, sliced thin

Sweet potato chips or tortilla chips

In a bowl, toss butternut squash with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place on a parchment lined sheet tray and roast in a 400-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until squash is tender. Set aside.

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Once hot, add garlic and cook a minute or two, until garlic is fragrant. Add flour and cook two minutes, until just toasted. Using a whisk, slowly incorporate milk to make a béchamel sauce. Bring sauce to a bubble and let thicken a bit. Remove from heat and pour into a blender.

Add the roasted squash, both cheeses and the chipotle peppers to the blender. Blend a few minutes, until sauce is smooth and silky. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

Pour into a serving bowl and serve immediately or put into a fondue pot to keep warm. Garnish with chopped cilantro, scallions and serrano pepper slices.

 

 

Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Galette

For pastry:

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup semolina flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 to 4 tablespoon  ice water

For filling:

1  butternut squash

2 tablespoon  olive oil

2 teaspoon  fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

10 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/2 cup fresh ricotta

1 cup grated fontina

2 tablespoon grated Parmesan

To make dough, place flour, semolina and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse to form a mixture that looks like small peas. Add ice water while pulsing, one tablespoon at a time, until dough sticks together, being careful not to over mix. Transfer to a lightly floured board and shape dough into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours.

To make filling, cut squash into two pieces to separate the rounder part from the narrower section. Peel squash, cut both parts in half and remove any seeds. Cut all four pieces into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Put in a large bowl and add olive oil, chopped garlic and thyme. Toss to coat evenly. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set the bowl aside. 

Sprinkle squash with salt and pepper. Place garlic on the baking sheet and bake  in a 400-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes, until the squash and garlic are tender. Let cool.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll into a large circle about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and refrigerate.

When garlic is cool enough to handle, peel and put in the reserved bowl. Mash with the back of a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in ricotta.

Remove pastry from the fridge and spread the garlic-cheese mixture over the top, leaving a one-inch border. Spread squash over the garlic-cheese mixture and fold the edges toward the center of the galette. Sprinkle fontina over the center of the galette. Sprinkle the edges of the crust with the Parmesan and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until crust is crisp and golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

 

 

Brown Butter Pasta With Butternut Squash, Walnuts and Sage

1 tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half moons

1/2 teaspoon  freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon  cayenne

 Kosher salt

 Freshly ground black pepper

12 ounce  linguine pasta

8 tablespoons salted butter

1 cup  walnuts, toasted until golden and coarsely chopped

16 to 20  stems fresh sage, leaves plucked from stems

Heat a large fry pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add olive oil and lower the heat to medium. Sauté squash slices in batches, sprinkling with about one-quarter of the nutmeg and cayenne and seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook three minutes, tilting the pan to coat squash slices in oil, then flip and sprinkle with nutmeg and cayenne. Sauté three more minutes, until slices are translucent and caramelized in parts. Transfer to a dish and set aside. Repeat with the remaining squash. Once all slices are cooked, transfer to the same dish.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions.

Melt butter in the pan used for the squash. After foaming subsides, swirl occasionally five to seven minutes, until butter has a nutty aroma and is toasty brown. Add walnuts and swirl to coat. Add sage leaves and toss to coat. 

When the pasta is cooked, use tongs to transfer noodles to the brown butter mixture and toss to thoroughly coat. Turn heat off. Add squash and toss to combine.

Divide pasta evenly into four bowls, season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

3 pound  butternut squash, peeled

1 pound yellow onions, peeled and quartered

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

3  garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2/3 cup  walnut pieces

3/4 ounce Parmesan, finely grated

1 teaspoon  apple cider vinegar

Whole-milk yogurt, optional

Halve squash and remove seeds. Chop into 1 to 1-1/2–inch chunks. Place half of them on a sheet pan with the onion wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, breaking the onions into petals. Roast in a 400-degree oven about 35 minutes, turning halfway through, until squash is tender and blistering in spots.

Place six cups water, two teaspoons salt and garlic cloves to a stockpot. Set over high heat to come to a boil. Add remaining squash and cook 10 minutes, until squash is soft. Add walnuts and cook one minute to soften. Turn off heat.

Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer squash, garlic and walnuts to a blender. Pour squash broth from the pot into a heatproof measuring cup. Blend squash mixture into a smooth-ish purée. Add one cup squash broth and blend. Add Parmesan and blend. Taste, adding more cheese if desired. Pour soup into the stockpot.

When squash and onion are done roasting, transfer to the blender and add 1-1/2 cups squash broth. Blend until smooth. Pour into the stockpot. Add 1/2 cup squash broth to the blender and blend, then pour into the pot.

Stir vinegar into the soup. Thin with more broth if desired, then taste and adjust with more vinegar, salt and/or black pepper. Soup can be refrigerated, frozen or served right away, drizzled with yogurt.

 

 

One-Pot Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

4 tablespoon  unsalted butter

4 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves

3  garlic cloves, minced

4 cups  warm water, plus more as needed

1-1/2 cups full-fat evaporated milk

1/4 teaspoon  freshly grated nutmeg

1 pound dried pasta, such as medium-sized shells or elbow macaroni

12 ounce  sharp white cheddar, grated

2 ounce  Parmesan, grated, plus more for serving

Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add squash and one teaspoon salt and cook 15 to 17 minutes, stirring often, until tender enough to smash with a spatula without much resistance and begins to brown. Add rosemary, sage and garlic and cook one minute, stirring often, just until garlic is aromatic and no longer raw.

Increase heat to high and add warm water, evaporated milk, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, one teaspoon pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Boil over medium-high heat 12 to 14 minutes, stirring often, until pasta is al dente and about two-thirds of the liquid has evaporated. If the liquid evaporates before the pasta is tender, add additional warm water, 1/2 cup at a time, and continue cooking.

Remove from the heat and add cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and has emulsified into a creamy sauce. Let pasta sit 10 minutes. If it becomes too thick, add additional warm water, 1/4 cup at a time.

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and serve immediately with more back pepper and Parmesan, if desired.

food52.com.