Bacon Bourbon Brown Sugar Butternut Squash 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.

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.

Insufficient roasting time: Butternut squash needs sufficient time in the oven to roast and develop that crispy exterior. Roast until they turn golden brown on the edges, and the texture becomes tender.

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.

You can roast the butternut squash cut side down or cut side up, you will get a more caramelized squash when roasted cut side down. Once it cools a bit scoop the flesh out of the squash halves with a spoon.

That's why it's important that you wash all winter squash with warm water and soap before you place it on the cutting board for prep. When you place an unwashed squash on your cutting board or cut through the potentially contaminated surface with your knife, you're pulling germs right into the part you're going to eat.

Microwaving the squash will make it much easier to peel. Simply slice off the top and bottom, poke the squash all over with a fork and microwave it on high for about 3 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, peel the squash. The softened flesh will make peeling (and slicing) way easier.

Cook at 400 degrees — hot — until the squash releases its juices and they are bubbly and brown around the edges. This is a sign that the sugars in the squash have caramelized and its flavor concentrated.

Raw butternut squash can cause some people to develop an allergic skin reaction called “squash hands.” Wearing gloves while handling the fruit or purchasing prepared butternut squash can help you prevent this skin reaction. A 1% hydrocortisone cream can help alleviate squash hands symptoms.

Why is my butternut squash tasteless? ›

According to the horticulture experts at Iowa State University, "butternut squash are mature (ready to harvest) when the skin is hard (can't be punctured with the thumbnail) and uniformly tan in color." If the skin is easy to pierce, the squash is not ripe and will taste starchy, flavorless, and sometimes even bitter.

Cook butternut squash for about 50 minutes (or more/less, depending on the size of your squash halves) until the squash is tender and lightly golden on the edges. Remove from the oven, scoop out the tender flesh, serve and enjoy!

Most recipes say to either bake or roast butternut squash—but what's the difference? While both cooking methods will turn the tough, raw gourd into a soft, sweet ingredient, roasting butternut squash is the more common process for achieving browned, crispy edges and a creamy interior.

To begin with, the butternut squash beats the sweet potato with fewer calories, carbs and sugar per serving. Moreover, it is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B6 and E. On the other hand, the sweet potato, however, provides more fiber and protein.

Place scrubbed and clean butternut squash onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 400 F for approximately 1 hour or more, depending on size. The skin should start to collapse when it's ready; a sharp knife will easily slip out when pierced. Cool for 20 minutes or so, and then peel off the skin.

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.

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. You can also roast the seeds and eat them as a snack or sprinkled over a finished dish.

If there are any green spots, it's definitely not ready to cook. The skin should be hard, according to the Farmer's Almanac, not at all glossy, and en even color. You can also tell if a butternut squash, or any other winter squash, is ready to cook by pressing your fingernail through the flesh.