Roasted Butternut Squash with Cinnamon & Nutmeg Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay cook butternut squash? ›

In a large bowl mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.

Butternut squash goes with sweet -- think cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg -- or savory -- think thyme, sage and oregano -- flavors and may be used in a variety of dishes.

While butternut squash skin is edible and it can even turn nice and crisp when roasted, many people prefer to peel it first so it's easier to eat. Butternut squash skin is smooth and thin and the best way to peel it is by using a sharp vegetable peeler.

When is butternut squash in season? Butternut squash are harvested in late summer and autumn, but because they keep so well, they can be found all year round.

Method. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Wash and dry the whole squash, then place on a baking tray. Pierce once or twice with the tip of a sharp knife, then bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until golden and very soft.

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

Butternut cultivars are pretty consistent when it comes to flavor. All have richly sweet, nutty flesh favored for all kinds of fall and winter cookery. The compact variety C. moschata 'Butterbush' (75 days) is short-vined and bears small butternut squash that are dark orange, dense and very sweet on the inside.

Basil has a strong, aromatic flavor that enhances and balances the delicate flavors of squash and zucchini. Use fresh basil, olive oil and tomatoes with a bit of salt when sautéing or stewing chopped zucchini and squash. For a zucchini and squash salad, use some fresh basil and tomatoes.

Buttercup. Not to be confused with the long, tan-hued butternut squash, the buttercup squash is squatter, with dark green skin. Its sweet, nutty flesh is dense and dry, and can be boiled, steamed, or worked into baked goods and casseroles. It will keep for two to four months.

The squash also retains most of its nutrients when it is steamed and has a wonderfully sweet butternuttiness to it. Steamed butternut can also be used in a variety of ways – added to salads, mashed, puréed or enjoyed as is with a simple seasoning of your choice.

Should butternut squash be cooked face up or face down? ›

Now, place the squash on a lipped baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can cook it face up or face down, but I like to turn the squash face down with the flesh on the parchment paper. Finally, roast your squash for about 50 minutes or until the squash flesh is tender.

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.