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50+ Winter Squash Recipes We're Making the Second the Weather Turns Cool

By Cooking Light
November 01, 2011
Photo: Tina Cornett
From butternut to spaghetti to pumpkin, winter squash is sure sign that fall is officially here. These easy recipes show you how to enjoy this ultra-healthy gourd in soups, casseroles, pastas, and so much more.
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Our Best Winter Squash Recipes

Photo: Ditte Isager
View Recipe: Acorn Squash With Wild Rice Stuffing

Winter squash has a sort of Quasimodo quality—it's often knobby, misshapen, mottled, and leather-skinned. When cooked, however, winter squash goes through a delicious transformation. Whether it's butternut, acorn, or delicata, roasted squash caramelizes beautifully around the edges and turns buttery and sweet in the center. These winter squash recipes represent the very best of fall, plus they deliver a good dose potassium, beta-carotene, and other phytonutrients and antioxidants (the stuff healthy cells dream of!). First up, this jazzed up stuffed acorn squash, a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. 

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Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Silky roasted butternut squash stands in for noodles in this more nutritious take on the starchy pasta casserole.

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Acorn Squash Egg-in-the-Hole

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Acorn Squash Egg-in-the-Hole

Remember that childhood breakfast favorite, a piece of toast with an egg cooked into its cutout center? Well, try this stunning grown-up twist that replaces the bread with baked slices of acorn squash. Mornings are looking sunny-side up!

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Poblano Pizza

Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash and Poblano Pizza

This Mexican-inspired twist on flatbread is packed with oven-roasted veggies, delivering almost a third of your daily fiber goal. Buy precubed butternut squash to trim down your prep time; swap goat cheese for the queso fresco, if you prefer.

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Mushroom Bolognese Over Spaghetti Squash

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Mushroom Bolognese Over Spaghetti Squash

Time: 40 minutes

More Umami: Dried porcini, soy sauce, tomato paste, and Parmesan are all deeply savory, making this a satisfying meatless main.

Serve with Arugula and Golden Beet Salad

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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna With Spinach

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine
View Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna With Spinach

This reader favorite has half the carbs of classic lasagna. If you bake the squash ahead, store the squeeze-dried strands in a zip-top bag, and stack the empty squash “boats” between damp paper towels before refrigerating.

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Acorn Squash With Sage-Cranberry Rice Stuffing

Photo: Victor Protasio
View Recipe: Acorn Squash With Sage-Cranberry Rice Stuffing

Hack the cooker so that you can make smaller amounts with great results. For a stew or braise, use smaller amounts, place into 8- or 10-ounce ramekins, and set those down in the cooker to slowly simmer to perfection while you’re at work. With this recipe, you’re basically treating the slow cooker like a small steam oven.

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Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Madras curry powder adds warmth and earthiness to the otherwise sweet butternut squash, apple, and maple syrup in the soup. It has a bit more heat than regular curry powder, though either can be used here. Frozen, precooked squash will save time; you can also roast 1 (1 1/2-lb.) peeled, diced butternut squash ahead and refrigerate for later in the week. We opt for a sweet, Golden Delicious apple to contrast the tangy Greek yogurt; you can also use a Fuji or Braeburn apple.

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Maple-Miso Salmon With Acorn Squash

Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Maple-Miso Salmon With Acorn Squash

Look for smaller acorn squash; they tend to be less fibrous than larger ones. Red miso is the most potent variety of miso and is a worthy investment for this recipe. In a pinch, lower-sodium soy sauce is a good substitute.

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Pumpkin-Poblano Casserole

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Pumpkin-Poblano Casserole

This oven-baked side couples the earthiness of poblanos with the sweetness of red bell peppers. Combine those with rich pumpkin and you have a new fall-weather classic you'll make time and again.

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Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi

Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi

Spaghetti squash is a favorite ingredient for those seeking a lower-carb, gluten-free alternative to pasta. Here, we pair it with fresh shrimp for a healthy spin on classic shrimp scampi. You'll love our clever cooking method for the spaghetti squash, which makes for perfect "noodles."  

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Quinoa-Stuffed Squash

Photo: Ditte Isager
View Recipe: Quinoa-Stuffed Squash

Want to make something a little special for dinner? Try these gorgeous stuffed squashes: They’re hearty and satisfying, and just beautiful on the plate. The recipe calls for golden nugget squash, but that variety can be hard to find year-round; acorn squash makes a good substitute. For a dinner party, double the recipe, and get a head start: The day before, cook the squash, and fill with stuffing. Bring to room temperature the next day, and bake as directed. You may find these filling enough to be your entire dinner, but they’re also great with a spinach salad tossed with apple or pear slices.

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Farro Stuffing With Butternut Squash, Red Onion, and Almonds

Photo: Chis Court
View Recipe: Farro Stuffing With Butternut Squash, Red Onion, and Almonds

In this nontraditional stuffing, earthy flavors and starchy comfort come from whole-grain farro, not bread. You can assemble up to 2 days ahead. Take out of the fridge, let stand at room temperature 45 minutes, then bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

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Pumpkin Soup With Almonds and Sage

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Pumpkin Soup With Almonds and Sage

This fast recipe delivers slow-cooked flavor. Pumpkin is one of the few vegetables whose canned version is quite good, saving you lots of time and effort. Just be sure you don't accidentally grab pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices.

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Roasted Red Onions and Delicata Squash

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Roasted Red Onions and Delicata Squash

Thin-skinned delicata squash has an edible peel, helping this side come together quickly.

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Roasted Kabocha and Kale Salad

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Roasted Kabocha and Kale Salad

Kobocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is the sweeter cousin of the pumpkin. The vivid orange flesh of this winter squash is tender and rich, with a flavor reminiscent of a sweet potato. While the shell is very hard when raw, it becomes very tender when cooked, making peeling optional. It's wonderful here, dressed with olive oil, coriander seeds, pepper, and salt.

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Spaghetti Squash With Spinach Pesto and Roasted Lemons

Caitlin Bensel
Get the recipe: Spaghetti Squash With Spinach Pesto and Roasted Lemons

This pesto packs a flavorful punch—it’s perfect for adding bold flavor to low carb spaghetti squash. Instead of roasting squash halves, we opted to slice the squash in rings; this yields longer, twirlable strands that mimic your favorite traditional pasta. Because the greens and herbs in the pesto are blanched first, you can make it a couple of days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. This dairy- and gluten- free vegan recipe is perfectly delicious as-is, but if you want to take it to the next level, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese takes it over the top.

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Butternut Squash Queso Fundido

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Butternut Squash Queso Fundido

Butternut squash adds distinct flavor (and color) to this satisfyingly cheesy dip. To make it vegetarian, sub vegetable stock for the chicken stock. If you prefer, you can roast a halved, seeded butternut squash at 350° for 45 minutes or until soft. Scoop 10 ounces of flesh, and use in place of the puree.

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Cheesy Sorghum and Shaved Squash Pilaf

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Cheesy Sorghum and Shaved Squash Pilaf

Long, slender ribbons of butternut squash make for a beautiful and unusual presentation; just be gentle when stirring so you don't break all those gorgeous pieces. Try to grab a squash with a long neck—that straight surface works best for ribboning. If you can't find sorghum, you can use farro.

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Butternut Squash Crown Roast

Photo: Kelsey Hansen
View Recipe: Butternut Squash Crown Roast

Prepare to watch jaws drop when you bring this dish to the table. Rather than serving a traditional main entrée, serve your guests a crown roast of butternut squash. Whether you save it for a dinner party, the holidays, or another special occasion, this dish is guaranteed to impress.

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Roasted Butternut Squash With Sticky Walnut Topping

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash With Sticky Walnut Topping

Molasses complements the sweetness of the roasted butternut squash and gives the slices a deeply bronzed look. We add cider vinegar for balance and stir in walnuts for a sticky, praline-like topping. The dish is best served warm, when the molasses mixture is still gooey. You can roast the squash ahead and reheat the slices while you make the topping. A quick trick for cleaning a sticky saucepan: Fill with water and bring to a boil, letting any residue dissolve, and then drain.

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Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Tart With Olive Oil Crust

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Tart With Olive Oil Crust

Elevate greens and squash to holiday status with a whole-grain olive oil crust. To speed up prep time, roast the squash and par-bake the crust simultaneously.

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Indian-Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

Photo: Ditte Isager
View Recipe: 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.

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Roasted Acorn Squash

Photo: Johnny Autry & Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Roasted Acorn Squash

Sautéed in a bit of butter and then roasted with a sprinkling of salt, Roasted Acorn Squash is your answer to a quick, tasty side dish.

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Spiced Cinnamon Rolls With Maple Glaze

Photo: Ditte Isager
View Recipe: Spiced Cinnamon Rolls With Maple Glaze

Delicata squash is a great choice for dessert recipes—and it works wonders in these craveworthy cinnamon rolls. It is characterized by yellow flesh that tastes similar to sweet potatoes. Roasting it in this recipe intensifies the sweet flavor. If you can't find delicata, substitute butternut.

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Oven Pork Chop Pan Roast

Photo: Hector Sanchez
View Recipe: Oven Pork Chop Pan Roast

Delicata squash, as the name implies, has skin so tender you don't have to peel it and makes this dish just that much faster to prep. You can substitute butternut or acorn squash—just peel it (or buy butternut prechopped).

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Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese Quiche With Spaghetti Squash Crust Image

Jamie Vespa
View Recipe: Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese Quiche With Spaghetti Squash Crust

Quiche is the ultimate make-ahead breakfast solution. Quickly sauté your favorite veggies and mix them with eggs for an easy baked dish that requires little effort. While extremely delicious, store-bought crusts can pack more calories and fat than they’re worth. In this recipe, we traded out a buttery, flaky crust for a gluten-free crust made of low-carb spaghetti squash. With egg whites and mozzarella cheese binding the squash together for a crust that can support a quiche, this healthy swap is a no-brainer.

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Sausage and Rice-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Sausage and Rice-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Take winter squash to the next level with this to-die-for dinner.

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Spaghetti Squash Shakshuka

Sara Tane
View Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Shakshuka

Shakshuka, a traditional Israeli breakfast food, is a skillet of spiced tomatoes, peppers, and onions with baked eggs. In this version, we swapped out our trusted cast-iron skillet for the walls of a spaghetti squash boat. Spaghetti squash adds a creamy texture and sweet flavor to this low-carb spin on a breakfast hash. Sprinkled with feta cheese and fresh cilantro, this hearty breakfast option is perfect for a brunch crowd or a lazy weekend morning in bed.

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Winter Squash Stew With Cilantro-Avocado Salsa

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Winter Squash Stew With Cilantro-Avocado Salsa

Winter greens would also make a lovely addition to this hearty stew; simply toss a few handfuls in when the squash is almost tender, and stir until greens begin to wilt.

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Steak With Mixed Olive Tapenade, Butternut Squash, and Green Beans

Scott Rounds
View Recipe: Steak With Mixed Olive Tapenade, Butternut Squash, and Green Beans

This bountiful plate comes together in a snap thanks to savvy finds from the supermarket like frozen precooked butternut squash, olives from the olive bar, and spiralized beets (available in the produce section). If you can’t find the beets, you can add 1/3 cup precooked, sliced beets to the cooked and drained green beans. Cutting the steak in half will also speed up cooking; be sure to let it rest a few minutes before slicing.

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Beef and Butternut Chili

Photo: Ditte Isager
View Recipe: Beef and Butternut Chili

There is nothing like a rustic chili to warm you from the inside out. This recipe, which adds in cubed butternut squash for a punch of nutrition, will definitely do the trick.

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Acorn Squash With Pomegranate and Kale Tabbouleh

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Acorn Squash With Pomegranate and Kale Tabbouleh

This is a fun dish to "carve" at the table, as each person gets one wedge to enjoy as a side dish. For an entrée take, give each person half a squash.

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Kabocha Squash Puree

Photo: Ditte Isager
View Recipe: Kabocha Squash Puree

If you can't find kabocha, use two medium delicata or acorn squashes. Serve this rich, delicious puree alongside roast pork tenderloin or chicken.

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Butternut Squash Ravioli With Spinach Pesto

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Butternut Squash Ravioli With Spinach Pesto

This is the easy way to use supermarket wonton wrappers for a weeknight ravioli treat. You can use this technique to make this deliciously sweet butternut squash ravioli topped with a fresh, herby pesto.

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Cheese and Squash Soufflés

Photo: Ditte Isager
View Recipe: Cheese and Squash Soufflés

The skin of the sweet dumpling squash is edible when cooked, so you don't have to peel these gems: Simply chop, roast, puree, and proceed with the recipe. If you can't find it, substitute peeled butternut. If you prefer, serve this soufflé as a side to accompany roast chicken, pork, or beef. Simply serve eight smaller portions.

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Bison Chili With Chickpeas and Acorn Squash

Photo: Hélène Dujardin
View Recipe: Bison Chili With Chickpeas and Acorn Squash

This chili is a new take on the classic cold-weather, one-pot meal. It's amped up with rich ground bison, that takes the place of ground beef, and chunks of sweet acorn squash.

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Mushroom and Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Mushroom and Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

While old-school stovetop-stirred risotto is undeniably delicious, the pressure cooker also delivers astonishingly good results: perfectly creamy, al dente risotto without constant stirring.