Autumn has a way of inviting us to slow down - to simmer, roast, savor, and gather around the table. In this collection of 15 cozy butternut squash recipes, you’ll find some delicious fall inspiration! From a silky butternut squash soup simmering on the stove, to a warming Indian curry for chilly evenings, to a vibrant roasted side dish, each recipe is designed to bring that cozy fall feeling right to your table.
As a chef and former restaurant owner, I love creating dishes that are flavorful, seasonal, and easy enough for any home cook. Every one of these recipes has been tested in my own kitchen - intentionally designed to make your fall meals feel effortless and taste delicious.🥂
Cozy Butternut Squash Recipes
Butternut Squash Pizza
A delicious fall-inspired pizza topped with butternut squash ribbons, sage, caramelized onions, swiss chard, and burrata cheese. Cozy fall flavors all in one perfect bite!
Butternut Squash Risotto
This Butternut Squash Risotto recipe is wonderfully creamy and comforting. Savory leeks, cubes of butternut squash, fresh sage, and maple pecans infuse it with delicious fall flavor. Minimal prep time and maximum cozy factor.
Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Kale
This no-boil, Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash, fresh kale, and sage can be made in one pan, with just 30 minutes of hands-on time before baking in the oven. Cozy, vegetarian butternut squash recipes like this are perfect for fall.
Butternut Squash Enchiladas
These vegetarian Butternut Enchiladas are filled with roasted butternut squash and black beans and baked in a simple, yet flavorful Mole Sauce. Topped with cilantro, avocado, and toasted sesame seeds, it is perfect for fall. Vegan-adaptable.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
This hearty vegetarian Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe is cozy and heartwarming, made with layers of no-boil lasagna noodles, creamy roasted butternut squash sauce, mushrooms, spinach, ricotta, and sage.
Lentil Pot Pie with Butternut Squash
This chef’s perfected lentil pot pie recipe is filled with savory lentils, roasted butternut squash, and kale, and topped with golden puff pastry. Vegan.
Baked Butternut Squash Recipes
One of our favorite ways to cook butternut squash is to bake it! Cutting butternut into cubes and roasting it elevates the flavor! Our roasted butternut squash recipes can be served as tasty and healthy side dishes, or they’re excellent added to soups, wraps, salads, and pasta. Here are some more baked butternut recipes.
Roasted Butternut Squash
This Roasted Butternut Squash recipe is easy to make and packed with flavor. Learn the best way to cook it and enjoy it as a delicious side dish or nutritious addition to soups, bowls, pasta, and salads.
Butternut Squash Gratin
This Butternut Squash Gratin is made with leeks, sage, and walnuts. It is a delicious fall side dish, 100% worthy of the holiday table! Vegan-adaptable and gluten-free. Video.
Roasted Butternut with Black Garlic & Miso
Roasted butternut squash with a black garlic – miso glaze, baked to perfection on a baking sheet in a single layer. The wonderful umami flavor pairs perfectly with the sweetness of butternut squash.
Stuffed Baked Butternut Squash
Butternut Squash is halved, baked until tender, then stuffed. We offer up three different savory fillings. Hearty, healthy weeknight dinners, perfect for fall!
Favorite Butternut Squash Soup (And Rolls)
One of our most popular soups, this creamy butternut soup recipe is incredibly delicious and healthy, too. It is vegan made creamy with coconut milk. This soup is one of our readers’ favorite butternut squash recipes on the blog! Make the butternut rolls for a double dose of our favorite winter squash.
Butternut Squash Soup
Cozy up with a bowl of creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with apple, crispy sage, and topped pumpkin seed brittle. Vegan and delicious!
Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls
Golden, tender, pull-apart Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls are flecked with rosemary and completely irresistible. Roasted squash cooked into the roll ensures that they are soft and full of flavor with just a hint of sweetness.
Indian Butternut Squash Recipes
Butternut Squash Tikka Masala
This fall-inspired recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Tikka Masala can be made with chickpeas or chicken. The fragrant tomato coconut sauce is infused with Indian spices. Vegan & Gluten Free!
Indian Butternut Squash Curry
A soothing and comforting North Indian Butternut Squash and Potato Curry, hailing from Rajasthan, featuring winter squash and potatoes, made with whole spices and ghee, served over fluffy basmati rice.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
Butternut Squash Tamales with Poblano Sauce
These tamales are made with a creamy butternut squash filling, topped with a flavorful poblano sauce and served over a bed of seasoned black beans, with pickled radishes or red onions. They are gluten-free and easily vegan-adaptable!
Butternut Squash Noodles
These Asian-inspired Butternut Squash Soba Noodles are the perfect fall meal! Roasted butternut infused with Chinese 5-spice, tossed with lacinato kale, soba noodles & a stir-fry noodle sauce.
Chef’s Tips for Cooking Butternut Squash
- How to select ripe squash: Look for a deep tan or beige skin, avoiding anything too green. The squash should feel heavy without soft spots or blemishes.
- Peeling and trimming hack: Pierce the squash a few times, then microwave the whole squash for 2-3 minutes. This will soften the skin slightly and make it easier to peel. Cut off the bulb and neck separately for safer, easier handling.
- For even cooking: Cut the butternut squash into consistent sizes so it cooks at the same rate. Larger cuts are ideal for mashing and puréeing, while smaller pieces are best for a side dish or for mixing into your recipe.
- Don’t over-crowd the pan! When roasting butternut squash, spread the pieces out in an even layer and don’t crowd the pan. This will help the squash caramelize instead of steam.
- Salt early, before roasting: This helps draw out moisture and concentrate flavor.
- For the best purée texture: Use a high-speed blender for a super silky texture. If it is too thick, add warm stock gradually to loosen. You can use an immersion blender, but it will have more of a rustic texture (sometimes nice for soup!).
FAQs
The great thing about butternut squash is how versatile it is. One of our favorite ways to prepare it is to roast it-whether making a simple side dish, or by adding roasted butternut squash to a pot pie, noodles, risotto, or pizza. From there, it can be enjoyed as is, or puréed, like in our butternut squash soup or Mexican tamales!
It depends on what type of dish you are preparing. We have butternut squash recipes with fall flavors, Indian spices, Mexican spices, and Italian seasonings. Because butternut squash is naturally sweet, it pairs well with warm, savory seasonings. Our roasted butternut squash is made with salt, pepper, maple syrup, and sage-our favorite pairings!
While the butternut squash peel is edible, it is very fibrous and can have a bitter taste. We recommend peeling it.
All of our cozy butternut squash recipes are perfect for weeknight dinners! Many of these are meal-prep friendly, too. Some of our favorite dinner recipes include butternut squash soup, pizza, noodles, risotto, lasagna, enchiladas, and curry!
After you try one of these butternut squash recipes, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
15 Best Butternut Squash Recipes for Fall
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 ½ cups 1x
- Category: side dish, fall dishes, fall dinner ideas
- Method: Various
- Cuisine: American
Description
How to Cook Butternut Squash the Best Way: Roasted! Roasted butternut squash can be added to soups, salads, pasta dishes, and grain bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, evenlycut into 1-inch cubes (1 medium-sized butternut squash, 5 cups cubed)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (adjust to taste)
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced- plus 6-8 whole leaves (the whole sage leaves get deliciously crispy in the oven) (can also substitute rosemary and thyme)
Optional additions to add before baking– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, for a smoky spice kick 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder, 2 teaspoons orange zest, toasted hazelnuts or walnuts.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Cut butternut squash: With a sharp knife, cut the ends off of the butternut squash. Peel the skin (*see notes ) with a sharp vegetable peeler. Slice in half separating the neck from the belly. Cut the squash sections vertically down the middle. Scoop out the seeds and cut in 1-inch slices, then cut each slice into 1-inch cubes.
- Season: Place cubed butternut squash in a medium bowl and toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper, minced sage, and whole sage leaves. Add any additional spices you desire. Make sure the squash is evenly coated.
- Arrange: Place the squash cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet pan, lined with parchment paper (*see notes).
- Bake: Place on the middle rack in the oven for 35-40 minutes, give a stir after 20 minutes. Continue baking until soft and fork-tender, and the edges start to carmelize.
- Optional: For extra richness when serving, add a tablespoon of butter, melting it into the warm squash. Ghee, or brown butter, works great too. If vegan, use coconut oil or your favorite vegan “butter”.
Notes
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
For more details, go to the original post: Roasted Butternut Squash
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 182
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 135.4 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.8 g
- Fiber: 5.6 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
