Butternut squash bounty prompts delicious discoveries -what to do with your bountiful harvest

Laurie Sidle
·4 min read

A friend recently gave me a generous batch of butternut squash, so I decided to search for different ways to cook it. I found some recipes to share, and interesting information about the nutritional value of butternut squash.

Not only is butternut squash low in calories, but it’s also packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

Celebrated for its versatility, this winter squash is often associated with soup, but its mild nutty flavor and richness makes it delicious in past as well.

The chefs in Nutrition Services at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center took a traditional macaroni and cheese recipe and trimmed down the fat content by replacing the cheese with butternut squash. See their recipe below along with two of their other recipes – Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter, a seasonal, vegetarian take on classic ravioli with a spicy twist to heat things up, and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream.

Laurie Sidle
Laurie Sidle

More: Mark your calendar: Wayne Extension setting up programs on herbs, eagles, bugs and more

Butternut Squash Mac and “Cheese”

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped

  • 6 cups vegetable stock

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped

  • 3 tablespoons corn starch

  • 3 tablespoons cold water

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • 1 pound cavatappi pasta, cooked and drained

Recipe Steps:

  • Place butternut squash, vegetable stock, onion and celery in a stovetop stock pot. Bring to a simmer and let cook for about 35 minutes or until squash is tender and mushy. In a blender or food processor, puree the mixture until smooth and creamy.

  • In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water together and add to the pureed squash mix. Bring back to a simmer until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper if you like.

  • Add the cooked pasta to the puree and stir until combined.

  • Place in a 9x13 baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and hot.

Options: Before baking, add panko breadcrumbs to the top for a crunchy texture, or top with your favorite brand of vegan cheese.

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli With Sage Butter

Recipe ingredients:

  • 2 butternut squash, halved and seeded

  • Pinch cinnamon

  • Pinch nutmeg

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

  • 2-3 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

  • 1/4 cup basil or parsley

  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • Panko breadcrumbs, optional

  • Package of 3-inch wonton skins

  • Egg wash

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • Parmesan cheese, fresh sage and chives, optional, for garnish

Recipe steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325 F.

  • Season squash with salt and pepper, sprinkle with olive oil and roast skin-side up until soft, about 40 minutes.

  • Scoop out pulp and puree squash in food processor with cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, chipotle peppers, basil, ¼ cup parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Add panko breadcrumbs if mixture is still moist.

  • Place wonton shells in a 4-by-3 pattern. Place a teaspoon size portion of your mixture in the center of each wonton.

  • Run a small brush of egg wash around the edge of each ravioli. Top every ravioli with a wonton skin. Secure edges with your fingertips.

  • Chill for 15-20 minutes.

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully drop in the ravioli and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, and shock with cold water.

  • Melt butter in a sauté pan. Lay ravioli in pan, season with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.

  • Garnish with cheese, fresh sage and chives.

Tip from the chefs: For added heat, drain the adobo sauce from the chipotles and pour over the ravioli.

If you love butternut squash soup, here’s a recipe to spice up this classic fall favorite.

Roasted butternut squash soup with chipotle cream

Recipe ingredients:

  • 1 medium squash, about 4 pounds

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped

  • 6 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable stock

  • 1 cup 2% milk

  • 1/4 cup orange juice

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Whole flat-leaf parsley or basil, as a garnish

  • Chipotle cream:

    • 1 cup hand-whipped fat-free Greek yogurt

    • 1 ½ tablespoon mole sauce from canned chipotle peppers

Recipe steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

  • Cut the squash in half, from top to bottom. Remove seeds. Place face down on an oiled baking sheet and bake until the squash can be easily skewered, about 40 to 60 minutes.

  • Cool for 20 minutes and scrape out the pulp. Discard skin.

  • Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat.

  • Add onion and cook until soft.

  • Add the squash, stock, orange juice and milk, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

  • Let cool for about 20 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or in batches in a blender on high speed, 3 minutes per batch or until very smooth.

  • Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, you may add water or stock. Ladle the hot soup into bowls.

  • Stir together the whipped Greek yogurt and mole sauce. Drizzle over soup. Garnish with parsley or basil.

Laurie Sidle is an Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences program assistant and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or sidle.31@osu.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Butternut squash shines in fall, winter dishes