’Tis the season for delicious winter squash–infused victuals! These versatile gourds, such as pumpkins, kabocha, acorn, and butternut squash, can be used in a whole slew of delicious seasonal recipes, many of which start with squash puree. Following are instructions for a simple Roasted Winter Squash Puree, along with 3 of our favorite ways to use it. Enjoy!
Roasted Winter Squash Puree
Recipe by The FruitGuys
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Remove squash stem, cut in half, and scrape out seeds and stringy bits. (Don’t forget to reserve larger winter squash seeds for roasting! See “Roasted Pumpkin Seeds” recipe.)
- Place squash cut-side-down on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, and poke the skin with a fork in a few places.
- For small squash, such as tiny pumpkins, roast for 20 minutes, then turn cut-side-up and continue roasting until fork-tender, another 15–20 minutes or so.
- For larger/thicker squash, roast for 30 minutes then turn cut-side up and continue roasting until fork-tender, another 30 minutes or so (for really big squash, this process can take up to 90 minutes or more).
- Let cool, then scrape flesh from skin with a spoon. Puree in a food processor or blender, adding in water 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary to help with blending (keep consistency on the thick side).