The EASIEST Whole-Roasted Butternut Squash {no pre-peeling, chopping, or deseeding!}

Ditch the struggle. Learn how to whole-roast butternut squash the EASY WAY without any prep work. No pre-peeling, chopping or deseeding (yes really!). Use for creamy butternut squash soup, side dishes and everyone’s favorite: muffins!

It was winter 2016. Jamie Oliver was making a butternut squash recipe on TV. He took the entire squash, the whole thing, and threw it into the oven (skin on and everything!). He placed it directly onto the oven rack, shut the door and walked away. That was it. No big deal. My eyes widened.

Wait, what? He wasn’t going to cut the butternut squash first? Everyone knows cutting butternut squash is a struggle. Let me remind you. First, there’s the slippery business of peeling that darn thing. Then, as you cut it, your knife gets stuck halfway through (why?!). And what about the seeds? Those little slimy things deeply entangled in long, stringy orange bits? 

Whole-Roasted Butternut Squash

Apparently, Jamie’s not into the struggle. You shouldn’t be either. His method of roasting butternut squash whole, and I mean truly roasting it whole (no pre-peeling, chopping or deseeding) is nothing new; we’re just not accustomed to it. But if you think about it, it’s like baking a potato. The whole thing goes into the oven. No olive oil, herbs or spices. Completely naked.

The Benefit?

Less work for you, more concentrated flavor and 100% convenience. You still have to peel the skin when the squash is cooked but it’s SO MUCH EASIER. It slips right off. Cutting the squash is no longer akin to sawing an ice block… and those pesky seeds? Still slimy, but they’ll release in one swift scoop. If you can’t use the butternut squash right away, it can be chilled or frozen. I portion the butternut squash into individual containers.

What Can It Be Used For?

Since the texture of whole-roasted butternut squash is soft, use it in recipes where it makes sense: creamy butternut squash soup, homemade ravioli filling, muffins, pasta sauces and whatever else your heart desires. Sometimes I just mash it up with a little creme fraiche and Parmesan cheese, and serve as a side dish with red-wine braised chicken for dinner. So good. It takes less than 5 minutes to do and requires zero thought.

Ingredients You Will Need

• Butternut squash- as many as you’d like.

How to Whole-Roast Butternut Squash

Place scrubbed and clean butternut squash onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 400 F for approximately 1 hour or more, depending on size. The skin should start to collapse when it’s ready; a sharp knife will easily slip out when pierced. Cool for 20 minutes or so, and then peel off the skin. Scoop out the seeds. Done.

But Wait… Can You Whole-Roast Other Types of Squash?

Absolutely! So far, I’ve tested the whole-roast method with acorn squash, carnival squash, home-grown cheese pumpkin and sugar pumpkin (for pumpkin pie). All successful. When experimenting yourself, just play around with the bake time as needed, depending on the squash variety and size.

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