Squashes have gone up in the world in recent times: just like pumpkins, of the same Curbita species, they are no longer only for decoration and carving at Halloween. Low in calorie, high in fibre, they might taste rather insipid but with rich seasoning they come into their own.
There are plenty of varieties, some more starchy and smoother like butternut and kabocha, others more watery like spaghetti or courgette - don’t forget the last is also a variety of summer squash.
Chopping one up is the hardest part of the process as they tend to have very tough – though often edible – skin. And then it’s easy cooking, roasting or sautéing.
Here’s a collection of squash and pumpkin recipes, from stuffed acorn squash through cakes, to salads with pumpkin seeds, arguably the best part of the fruit.
Squashes are very suited for pasta dishes. Here, creamy butternut squash pasta bake is made with wholewheat fusilli and crispy sage. An easy, comforting vegetarian pasta gratin with plenty of flavour and no need for cooking béchamel.
Butternut squash pasta bake
RECIPE
Easy crown prince squash and chicken traybake marinated with shawarma-style spices, honey and Greek yoghurt. It’s the perfect autumn meal, healthy, low effort and versatile for serving with flatbread or in lettuce cups.
Squash and chicken traybake
RECIPE
Acorn squash stuffed with a vegetarian mix of mushrooms and rice, topped with cheese, baked in the oven: that’s one of the best squash recipe ideas. And an easy, delicious autumnal supper to boot.
Kabocha is a lesser known but in my view the nicest squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin. The Japanese simmer kabocha in broth, but this is thoroughly homely: kabocha slices baked in cream and cheese flavoured with thyme.
Five-spice seasoned butternut squash slices baked in cheesy custard, served with orange rayu (Japanese chilli oil) is precisely the treatment the squash needs to be a great dish. No surprise, it’s a recipe from Ottolenghi.
Butternut squash in cheesy custard
RECIPE
Roast pumpkin and feta salad with lime juice steeped red onions and toasted walnuts, pine kernels and pumpkin seeds is delicious, and the best way to use post-Halloween pumpkin. But it’s also a good enough reason to procure a pumpkin just for that!
Roast pumpkin and feta salad
RECIPE
I know you’ll reach for a tin of pumpkin puree, but you just might use mashed roast pumpkin to make this easy bread/cake. A cake baked in a loaf tin is often called ‘bread’ in America, though with dried cranberries and walnuts, it’s definitely a sweet treat.
Another recipe featuring tinned puree, none the worse for it. Pumpkin and cranberry pie with filling made with condensed milk and tinned pumpkin, but the homemade crust from scratch and a cranberry layer are the winning factors in this festive pie.
Pumpkin and cranberry pie
RECIPE
Baked pumpkin with melty cheese: this is a recipe ideal for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Bonfire Night. Pumpkin fondue is made in individual munchkin pumpkins, filled with cheese mix and baked. All edible, including the pumpkin!
This one features the seeds, and they are possibly the best part of a pumpkin. Pear and grilled halloumi, with roasted parsnip and salty pumpkin seeds make a gorgeous salad. Everything is there: the wholesome, the sweet, the salty and the crunch. A perfect salad?
Pear, pumpkin seed and halloumi salad
RECIPE