Baked Winter Squash, the Simple Way
When winter squash starts coming off the route in the fall, this is how most of it gets eaten at our table. Not soup, not risotto — just baked, with butter, salt, and pepper. Squash this fresh does not need rescuing. The oven turns it sweet and nutty all on its own, and the butter pools in the middle where it belongs.
From the farm: Winter squash is riding along on the route right now — acorn squash are $2 each and butternut are $3 each in the shop. Message us or check the shop for what else is on the truck this week.
Free delivery in the Norwich and Syracuse areas; Binghamton area free on orders of $20 or more.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut or acorn squash
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Cut the squash in half from stem to tip — a heavy knife and a steady board; rock the blade, do not force it — and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Set the halves cut side up in a baking dish. Put a good knob of butter in each hollow and season the cut faces well with salt and pepper.
- Bake 45 minutes to an hour, until a fork slides into the thickest part with no argument. Smaller acorn squash run closer to 45; a big butternut takes the hour.
- Serve it right in the skin with a spoon. If dinner needs stretching, scoop the flesh out and mash it with the butter that baked in it.
That is the whole thing. Cooking with fresh vegetables does not have to be a project — sometimes the oven does all the work and takes all the credit.
Photo: jonbro, Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
