26 Snug Butternut Squash Recipes for Fall

Browse autumnal recipes for butternut squash soup, sides, casserole, gnocchi, and gratin.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Curry Leaves Recipe
Photo: Greg DuPree

It's butternut squash season and the versatile vegetable has our attention. Soft and creamy when cooked, with the ability to taste sweet or savory depending on the preparation, butternut squash yields itself to a variety of recipes for sides and mains. Add it to macaroni and cheese, puree it into soup, and even use it to bake a meatless Parmesan. Here are a bunch of cozy, warming butternut squash recipes we love.

01 of 26

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

The creamy goat cheese and butternut squash filling in these decadent homemade ravioli pairs perfectly with toasted butter, crunchy walnuts, and peppery kale for the ultimate pasta night upgrade. Make the ravioli ahead and keep it in the freezer for easy day-of meal prep.

02 of 26

Roasted Butternut Squash Parmesan

Butternut Squash Part Recipe
Jennifer Causey

To make this fantastic vegetarian Parmesan, cookbook author Raquel Pelzel first roasts seasoned half-moons of butternut squash. The squash gets layered with marinara and three cheeses, then baked until it's tender and golden. To finish, Pelzel sprinkles the dish with crisp homemade breadcrumbs.

03 of 26

Winter Squash and Shallot Tart

Winter Squash and Shallot Tart
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

When fall is in full swing, this is the appetizer to serve. The tart's rich, cheesy filling is packed with sweet cubes of butternut squash and savory shallots; the acidity of sherry vinegar and brightness of lemon zest lightens it. A peppery arugula salad tops everything off.

04 of 26

Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale

Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo Spiced Kale
Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

At Chaval in Portland, Maine, chef Damian Sansonetti turns butternut squash into a hearty vegetable steak. He employs his chorizo spice mix to highlight the squash's earthy complexity; the blend of cumin, Pimentón, and coriander is bloomed in oil to release its aroma.

05 of 26

Roasted Butternut Squash with Curry Leaves

Roasted Butternut Squash with Curry Leaves Recipe
Greg DuPree

"A sprinkling of marash chile flakes and curry leaves with coconut oil add a bit of heat and an intoxicating fragrance," says cookbook author Nik Sharma about this delicious side dish, "while the black mustard seeds add a hint of nuttiness." If you can't find marash chile flakes, Aleppo pepper can be substituted.

06 of 26

Curried Squash Galette

Curried Squash Galette
© David Malosh

Frozen grated butter is Justin Chapple's secret to making this galette's super-flaky crust. Topped with a lightly spiced, sweet-savory butternut squash filling, this rustic free-form tart makes for a perfect vegetarian meal.

07 of 26

Ossola-Style Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce

Ossola-Style Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Missie Neville Crawford

Recipe developer Meryl Feinstein's Ossola-style gnocchi are hearty cold-weather dumplings from the Ossola Valley in northern Piedmont, only a few miles from the Swiss border. In addition to potatoes, these gnocchi include butternut squash, chestnut flour, and nutmeg.

08 of 26

Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine with Apricots

Clay Pot Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine Recipe
Victor Protasio

A tagine is both a North African cooking vessel and the stew cooked in it. Here, savory lamb, salty olives, and the warm spice blend ras el hanout are balanced by sweet butternut squash, apricots, and a touch of honey.

09 of 26

Lentils with Butternut Squash and Merguez Sausage

Lentils with Butternut Squash and Merguez Sausage
© Fredrika Stjärne

This dish from chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza in San Francisco comes together in four steps, and since the sausage is cooked separately, it's a meal you can serve to both vegetarians and meat-eaters at the same time.

10 of 26

Butternut Squash and Pork Soup with Fish Sauce and Tender Herbs

Butternut Squash and Pork Soup with Fish Sauce and Tender Herbs
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Our riff on the classic Vietnamese soup called canh bi do thit heo swaps in mild butternut squash for the traditional kabocha, which holds its shape well and absorbs the rich flavors of the broth and pork while cooking quickly.

11 of 26

Gingered Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Pecan Cream

Gingered Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Pecan Cream
© John Kernick

Texas chef Dean Fearing combines butternut squash with fresh ginger for his smooth, gently sweet soup. He tops it with lightly spiced whipped cream flecked with chopped pecans for contrast, flavor, and some all-important crunch. "I think everything should have a little bit of crunch to it," he says.

12 of 26

Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto, and Thyme

butternut squash casserole
© Alexandra Rowley

This luscious squash-studded savory bread pudding is the ideal accompaniment to roasted meats and poultry. You can also cut it into large squares and serve it as a main course with a green salad on the side.

13 of 26

Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash

Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash
© Andrew Purcell

For this one-pan dish, chicken quarters are roasted with golden squash and sage to make a perfect autumn meal. To help the squash brown evenly, be sure to spoon off the fat from the roasting pan after removing the breasts.

14 of 26

Spice-Roasted Butternut Squash

Spice Roasted Butternut Squash

© Matt Armendariz

Cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper bring warmth and spice to this easy butternut squash dish. Simply cube the squash, toss it with olive oil and spices, and roast it until it's golden and tender.

15 of 26

Baked Butternut Squash and Cheese Polenta

Baked Butternut Squash-and-Cheese Polenta
Quentin Bacon

This crusty baked polenta is swirled with mashed butternut squash, onion, pine nuts, and smoked Gouda cheese. It's excellent served with sautéed mushrooms, braised greens, or tomato sauce.

16 of 26

Butternut Squash Soup with Crisp Pancetta

Butternut Squash Soup with Crisp Pancetta
© JOHN KERNICK

Chef Tom Valenti roasts buttered and seasoned squash with pancetta slices draped over the top to infuse flavor. The finished soup is pureed until creamy smooth and served with the crispy crumbled pancetta for textural contrast.

17 of 26

Butternut Squash and Sage Wontons

Butternut-Squash-and-Sage Wontons
© Tina Rupp

Food writer Jill Donenfeld fills store-bought wonton wrappers with mashed butternut squash and roasted garlic for an easy make-ahead appetizer. The parcels get nicely crispy when sautéed in a touch of oil, but they're also delicious simply steamed.

18 of 26

Winter Squash with Savoy Cabbage Gratin and Garlic Crema

Winter Squash and Savoy Cabbage Gratin with Garlic Crema
Constantine Poulos

San Francisco chef Matthew Accarrino makes a cheesy roasted garlic sauce to adorn a rainbow of winter squash and cabbage for these individual gratins, which get browned under the broiler. To finish, he tops them with crunchy hazelnuts.

19 of 26

Curry-Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpeas

Curry-Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpeas
© John Kernick

This Indian-inspired riff on traditional roasted butternut squash is super easy: After tossing the squash and chickpeas with curry and cayenne, they're roasted and then drizzled with a cooling cilantro-spiked yogurt sauce.

20 of 26

Golden Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash Puree

Golden Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash Puree
© Kate Winslow

Give your mac and cheese a seasonal upgrade by incorporating mashed butternut squash into the cheese sauce for a little earthy sweetness.

21 of 26

Wheat Berry Salad with Tuscan Kale and Butternut Squash

Wheat Berry Salad with Tuscan Kale and Butternut Squash
© Jonny Valiant

Chef Stewart Dietz uses whole-grain einkorn berries, a type of farro, for this delicious autumn salad. It's a sturdy dish that can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge, though you'll want to bring it to room temperature before serving.

22 of 26

Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Pancetta

Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Pancetta
© Maura McEvoy

This simple, satisfying risotto is delicious when made as directed, but feel free to exchange bacon for the pancetta and use another type of winter squash instead of butternut if that's what you have on hand.

23 of 26

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage

Roasted Butternut Squash

© Fredrika Stjärne

This five-ingredient dish could not be easier to make. The classic, delicious combination of squash and sage is tossed in olive oil and simply seasoned before it's roasted to lightly browned perfection.

24 of 26

Squash Gratin with Poblanos and Cream

Squash Gratin with Poblanos & Cream
© Con Poulos

Los Angeles chef Julie Robles makes this cheesy vegetarian gratin in individual dishes with a topping of candied pumpkin seeds. Our simplified version here is for one big gratin garnished with plain toasted pumpkin seeds.

25 of 26

Risotto Nero with Squash and Burrata

Risotto nero with Squash and Burrata
Chris Court

Chef Nancy Oakes makes this gorgeous risotto with Venere black rice, a naturally black short-grain variety. The glossy grains are especially striking served with the golden butternut squash puree and creamy white burrata.

26 of 26

Mashed Potatoes with Butternut Squash

Mashed Potatoes with Butternut Squash
© Frances Janisch

This dish calls for equal parts Yukon Gold potatoes and butternut squash, fabulously enriched with half-and-half and butter. The key to an ultra-fluffy texture is to use a ricer, but you can also pass the potatoes through a food mill or fine-mesh sieve, or very gently mash by hand.

Was this page helpful?

Related Articles