Step 1

Grab whatever you can find at the farmer’s market or store! You really can’t go wrong. You want it to feel solid and not mushy.

Step 2

Cut your squash, scoop out the seeds, and set the halves flesh up on a baking sheet.

Step 3

Spread butter over the flesh (olive or avocado oil works too – coconut oil will change the flavor so if you aren’t a fan of coconut I would recommend using something else!), and sprinkle sea salt and pepper. You can also add a special sweet twist to the middle of the squash if you want! I think honey goes well with butternut squashes, cinnamon with pumpkin, and pure maple syrup with acorn squashes.

Step 4

Alternatively, some squashes work well to do a cube method of roasting. Grab a peeler and a butternut squash and peel the outer layer. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and the cube it up for the baking sheet. Since butternuts are so dense especially at the top, I find it cooks up faster this way! You can toss the cubes with butter and sea salt/pepper before popping them into the oven!

Step 5

Roast your prepped squash at 475 degrees for about an hour. Smaller squashes will run anywhere from 45-60 minutes. Larger/thicker squashes will be more like an hour or an hour and 15 minutes.

Step 6

If you are doing the cubed up squash method you can go as little as 30 minutes and they will be soft with just a little bite left to them – or as long as 45 minutes or so and caramelize the top a little bit.

Step 7

You can scoop your squash out and serve it right to the plate, or you can puree it further in a food processor if you think a smoother texture like mashed potatoes will go over better with the family. Melt a pat of butter over the top of each serving too!