Healthy Butternut Squash Recipes

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Pancetta, and Jack Cheese

Randy Mayor

Butternut Squash Recipes

Of all the winter squashes, butternut squash is the easiest to work with; it has thin skin and can be easily peeled with a vegetable peeler. Its dense flesh and robust flavor work well in a variety of dishes, from sweet to savory. Here, find our top-rated recipes voted by Cooking Light fans.

This easy-to-make risotto is buttery, sweet, and creamy. While the pancetta makes it a savory meat-lovers' meal, momsdecoop also suggests making it vegetarian friendly, “This is a recipe I crave all the time and I don't have to feel guilty about it! I eliminated the pancetta and used veggie stock to serve this dish to vegetarians. They loved it.”

View Recipe: Risotto with Butternut Squash, Pancetta, and Jack Cheese

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

Smoky bacon compliments the richness of butternut squash in this casserole to create a dish that can be enjoyed right away or prepared ahead for a party or weeknight meals. Susan says, “This was an instant favorite of family and friends. It is so savory, delicious, and satisfying!!! If I could give this recipe 10 stars, I would.”

View Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Pesto Pizza with Butternut Squash

Topped with a medley of squash, pesto, and cheese, this pie delivers distinctive flavor without much effort. “I especially liked the contrasting sweetness, saltiness, and zippiness,” says jngermann. “I found it easy to make this in the afternoon, then reheat at a low temp for an evening supper club.”

View Recipe: Pesto Pizza with Butternut Squash

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup

This three-step recipe (roast, blend, simmer) is an easy and flavorful way to warm up with a creamy vegetable-based soup on a chilly fall afternoon. And according to cathyr, the soup is not only tasty, but also makes for a bright presentation. “This soup was SPECTACULAR!,” she says. “Gorgeous color, luscious flavor, velvety texture! My mom and my neighbor both raved!”

View Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup

Karry Hosford

Butternut Squash Lasagna

The unique combination of flavors in this vegetarian recipe will leave your family asking for seconds. Make the sauce the night before to save on prep time. CandaceB writes, “Making the sauce really exemplified the play of sweet and spice. This will be a regular in our household!”

View Recipe: Butternut Squash Lasagna

Randy Mayor

Winter Squash Soufflé and Greens

Serve this 138-calorie dish as part of a vegetarian meal, or pair with a serving of protein as nasuselbbid suggests, “This is such an easy and delicious soufflé to make. I have served this with both roast chicken and pork loin with great success. Makes a colorful and beautiful plate, too!“

View Recipe: Winter Squash Soufflé and Greens

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Harvest Pie

This twist on pumpkin pie has all the season’s classic spices and is the perfect end to any autumn dish. Eat it straight from the oven or make ahead to bring to a holiday get-together. cdlaub writes, “I made this for Thanksgiving and it was requested again for Christmas."

View Recipe: Harvest Pie

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash

Roasted chicken sits atop a tender mound of sweet and savory butternut squash to create a melt-in-your-mouth plate of perfection. Looking for an added bonus? This meal is a budget-friendly option that is hearty enough to satisfy every appetite in your household.

View Recipe: Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash

Photo: Anna Williams

Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Seeds

This smooth and brightly hued soup is a gorgeous start to any meal. The spiced pumpkinseed kernals (also called pepitas) are a crunchy and flavorful topping.

View Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Seeds

Randy Mayor

Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

This rich and hearty casserole is the ideal accompaniment to simple roast chicken or beef tenderloin. The browned breadcrumbs and bits of blue cheese are as appealing to the eyes as they are to the appetite.

View Recipe: Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

Photo: Anna Williams

Steamed Butternut Squash Pudding

This recipe was inspired by Blackberry Farm in Tennessee where chefs top it with sabayon featuring vanilla-infused whiskey. At the Farm, the chefs flavor a 1.5-liter bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey for three weeks. Our adaptation cuts the infusion time back to four days; you can let the mixture stand for even less time, though the vanilla flavor will be milder.

View Recipe: Steamed Butternut Squash Pudding

Photo: Coral von Zumwalt

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Sugared Walnuts

Brown sugar ups the autumnal flavor in this dish. Brightly colored roasted butternut squash stand out against the risotto like a sinfully delicious invitation to enjoy. Just a bit of slightly salty pancetta lends just the note to finish off the flavor medly.

View Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Sugared Walnuts

Photo: Sang An

Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Moroccans take great comfort in their wonderful tagines—lamb or poultry slowly stewed with fragrant spices. This dish is basically a tagine thinned to soup consistency, with couscous to starch it up. Sugary butternut squash and meaty chicken thighs remind us how well sweet and savory flavors play together in Moroccan cuisine.

View Recipe: Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry

Butternut Squash and Smoky Black Bean Salad

Sweet butternut squash receives a smoky, spicy kick in this recipe. You'll find chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce on the Latin food aisle. Use just the sauce here; reserve chiles for another use.

View Recipe: Butternut Squash and Smoky Black Bean Salad

Photo: Johnny Autry

Bacon and Butternut Pasta

Broth, thickened with flour and enriched with crème fraîche, forms the savory sauce in this dish. We like the addition of earthy, hearty kale which helps balance the sweetness from the squash.

View Recipe: Bacon and Butternut Pasta

Photo: Randy Mayor

"Farrotto" with Butternut, Gruyère, and Hazelnuts

Cubes of butternut squash hold their shape and bite, and stand out wonderfully against the farro background. Grated Gruyère cheese and chopped hazelnuts add the perfect touch of fat and salt at the end of this vegetarian main dish.

View Recipe: "Farrotto" with Butternut, Gruyère, and Hazelnuts

Photo: Johnny Autry

Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

For a complete meal, serve with a fresh salad of grapefruit and fennel, and sip our Pomegranate Fizz.

View Recipe: Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

Photo: Ditte Isager

Indian-Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

This flavorful soup is a vibrant hue with flavor to match. Top with a dollop of the yogurt-honey mixture for a showstopping bowlful.

View Recipe: Indian-Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

Photo: Randy Mayor

Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese

Instead of the traditional buttery, heavy sauce present in most mac and cheese recipes, we turned to an unlikely hero for a boost: butternut squash. Combined with nonfat milk and Greek yogurt, the squash adds a rich, nutty flavor, sneaks in some vegetable, and brilliantly mimics the color and creaminess of cheddar sauce. Over fifty 5-star reviews agree: butternut squash is a delicious addition.

View Recipe: Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese

Photo: Johnny Autry

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Take your basic beef stew to the next level by making this simple, fragrant beef tagine featuring butternut squash.

View Recipe: Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Photo: Johnny Autry

Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa

Serrano chiles are more fiery than jalapeños. If you want to tame the heat, substitute a jalapeño or an even milder chile instead. If you want more spice, don't remove the seeds.

View Recipe: Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa

Photo: Nina Choi

Chickpea Chili

Chickpeas give an unexpected twist to classic chili. On second thought, nearly all of the flavors in this recipe (including butternut squash) give an entirely different flavor to the typical Tex-Mex staple but—we have to say—it will soon become a classic.

View Recipe: Chickpea Chili

Top-Rated Butternut Squash Recipes

Butternut Squash Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

Pesto Pizza with Butternut Squash

Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Winter Squash Soufflé and Greens

Harvest Pie

Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Seeds

Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

Steamed Butternut Squash Pudding

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Sugared Walnuts

Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash and Smoky Black Bean Salad

Bacon and Butternut Pasta

"Farrotto" with Butternut, Gruyère, and Hazelnuts

Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

Indian-Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa

Chickpea Chili