Roasting butternut squash question....

Peeling these guys if you do not have a sharp nice peeler is a pain.

Can you cut in half, scoop out seeds, and then roast? Then when done scoop out the innards.

Would that work?

jpeac2-

You can do exactly what you describe. I usually roast them cut side face down on aluminum foil.

-The GP

Awesome. It is awful trying to peel those guys with a knife!

Thanks for the help.

You can even just poke it full of holes with a grill fork and roast it whole.

I do what you describe,
then slice them about an inch thick,
dot the slices with butter,
drizzle with maple syrup and roast on aluminum foil.
when they're tender, I use a butter knife to gently slide away the peel,
and chunk the rest.
It's delicious-
I used some prepared this way in a vegetarian stuffing this T-giving
with toasted pinenuts and mushrooms.
It was a big hit.

I thought the butternut squash was relatively easy to peal but the buttercup is close to impossible.

I cut it in half, lay it cut sides up in the oven at 350-ish, and when it's very soft, scoop out the innards with a grapefruit spoon. That thing has sure been handy! I used butter once too but still used the same technique - just placed the squash in a foil nest.

ppezalla wrote:I thought the butternut squash was relatively easy to peal but the buttercup is close to impossible.

I agree. I've never had a hard time peeling a butternut. I cut the "bulb" from the neck, and separately peel each portion by running a chef's knife down the sides, turning the squash as I go. I do this if I want to dice it. If I just want pureed, roasted squash, I halve it, roast each half, and scoop out the tender innards.

This would be one of those foods that can kill you if you're using an inadequately sharpened knife. It's easy - but only if you're using the right tools.

I just throw the whole thing in the oven and roast it that way!

jpeac2 wrote:Peeling these guys if you do not have a sharp nice peeler is a pain.

Can you cut in half, scoop out seeds, and then roast? Then when done scoop out the innards.

Would that work?

Yes, if you're roasting for any purpose this is a great time to infuse some additional flavor- I like butter, maple syrup and some cinnamon on mine, but you can make it more savory if you wish.

Peeling butternut squash is easy...only if you have the right tool. If you have one of the "Y" shaped peelers, its pretty easy to peel and roast...but a regular peeler or a knife makes it one tough job!

I'm actually making a roasted butternut squash risotto tonight - a perfectly warming meal, for such a COLD winter evening. There will also be a hot pot of Wassail on the stove to help warm arriving guests.

How similar is buttercup squash to butternut squash? I have a buttercup squash and want to use it in Smitten Kitchen's recipefor a squash galette. Given how difficult it is to peel a buttercup, it looks like I may have to roast it in quarters or eighths before dicing it for the galette.