Butternut squash is hands down the hardest vegetable to prepare and one of the most difficult to cook. The reason behind that is their irregular shape can make accidents and injuries in the kitchen much more common. In this recipe, I’ll show you step-by-step how to prepare and cook squash without losing a finger. Cooking squash can be tricky because it takes so long to cook and sometimes, the outside can be cooked, but the inside is still raw. A cheat I use to perfectly nail squash every time is to either steaming it before cooking or rinsing it with water. Water will penetrate the squash and it will lightly steam it during the cooking process. It’s a technique I use to cook squash effectively with little hassle and a much greater yield. 

Ingredients:

500g butternut squash, peeled, large diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Cut the tip of the squash and trim a little bit from the bottom. This will make a flat surface when cutting the squash later. Using a peeler, carefully peel as much skin as you can from the squash. Using a sharp chef’s knife, where the area of the squash gets bulkier, cut it in half. Cut the bottom half of the squash in half and remove the seeds. Continue dicing the squash.

If you don’t have a steamer, rinse the squash with water before adding everything in a mixing bowl. Spread evenly on a baking tray with parchment paper and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown and fully cooked. You can check if the squash is done by testing it with a fork to see if they are tender.