FALLING FOR ROASTED SQUASH
Delicata and butternut squash roast like a dream and figure into variety of delicious dishes
My small apartment has been turned into a squash court. Every kitchen surface and then some is stacked with sheet trays of oven-roasted squash, filling the space inside these four walls with a toasty, sugary scent of one of fall’s most welcome foods. October may have been the great pumpkin month, but the next few belong to the glorious gourds that are winter squash. My favorite way to enjoy them? Oven roasting. Though there are many types of squash, including Hubbard, spaghetti, acorn and kabocha, my preferred are the beauteous delicata and the versatile butternut, both readily available at supermarkets.
Roasting the flesh of these fruits — yes, botanically speaking, squash are a fruit plant — brings out
rich flavors as natural sugars intensify in the heat and turn the hard flesh supple and creamy. Once roasted, the squash can be eaten as a simple side dish or used in a variety of recipes — in salads, in pasta and risotto dishes, as a filling for turnovers and quiche, and puréed into luxurious soups. Though roasting them with salt, pepper and olive oil produces excellent results, squash also loves being a vehicle for other flavors including butter, sugar, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ground peppers and even maple syrup. Roasted squash is a home cook’s most forgiving, agreeable friend.
And so easy. Delicata squash, my favorite, is beyond simple to roast. Wash the squash; cut off both ends; cut down the middle lengthwise; scoop out seeds; and cut into half-moons of even thickness (the thinner you cut them, the faster they cook; I prefer a half-inch slice). Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 400 degrees until the flesh begins to brown, about 25-30 minutes. You can flip the squash about two-thirds into the baking for more even browning; I don’t bother.
Butternut squash must be peeled first, then seeded, cut into cubes (again, the size is up to you) and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 400 degrees. Use a spatula to turn the cubes halfway through cooking, which should take about 30 minutes. If you want pretty rings like the delicata yields, slice the peeled squash lengthwise; the neck will make rings.
I roasted six delicatas and three hefty butternuts for these recipes. Roasted squash makes wonderful eating as-is (or with dips), but I used mine to incorporate into dishes that showed their cooking adaptability. Once you begin roasting winter squash, you’ll find yourself tucking the caramelized gems into just about everything.