Oh, butternut squash, we adore you. Your sweet, nutty flavor. Your hearty, soft texture. Not to mention the bounty of nutrients you possess. We’re talking nearly 300 percent of our daily vitamin A per cup, plus 48 percent of our daily vitamin C and a hefty dose of potassium to boot. You’re also super versatile, so we can toss you into pasta, purée you into pizza sauce (more on that later), fold you into quesadillas or turn you into soul-warming chili or soup. It’s no wonder you don’t have any haters. And even if you did, these 30 butternut squash recipes would surely sway them. Here’s an ode to our favorite fall vegetable.
RELATED: The 54 Best Winter Squash Recipes of All Time
Tomato sauce? You can do better than that. This sauce only calls for butternut squash, garlic, fresh herbs and broth. Top it with fresh mozzarella, ricotta and sage before you serve it (and change pizza night forever).
Meet the most filling *meatless* main course around. They’re stuffed with quinoa, chickpeas, roasted red peppers and lots of autumn add-ins, like hazelnuts, Gruyère and apple cider vinegar.
The best way to get your veggies? In a big bowl of spaghetti, of course. Pancetta and grated Parmesan take its salty-savory flavor up a notch.
Taco Tuesday just got fancy. And we’re inviting black beans, avocado and all the salsa verde.
We love everything about this. Everything, from the cashew-butternut “cheese” sauce to the shiitake mushroom “meat.”
Never tried bulgur? This fall dish will make a great first impression for the ancient grain. It’s also got Honeycrisp apple, dried cranberries, thyme and toasted pecans, in case the name alone wasn’t autumnal enough for you.
Take a page from Sweden’s book on potatoes and apply it to this aromatic fall veggie. It’s drizzled in honey, butter and fresh herbs before being roasted. Your dinner guests will be so impressed.
Our cravings are satisfied, thanks to Coterie member Ali Maffucci. Spiralize your own or check by the zoodles at your local supermarket for pre-spiralized squash.
A cozy hug on a cool day, thanks to Coterie member Heidi Larsen. Warm your bones with a hearty bowl of chili, finished with white wine and roasted pasilla peppers.
And you thought summer had dibs on pasta salad. This dish screams fall, from the cinnamon and pine nuts to the fresh thyme and goat cheese.
Healthy lasagna? Sign us up. It’s loaded with garlicky spinach and butternut squash ribbons in place of pasta.
The ultimate winter comfort food, made vegan and dairy-free. The secret? Extra-virgin olive oil and canned coconut milk.
Exhibit A: The definition of yum. Not only does this beauty take 30 minutes to make, but it also boasts 18 grams of protein per serving, thanks to pearl barley and Asiago cheese.
If you’re wondering what panzanella is, it’s basically bread salad. And this one is so autumnal, it’s practically wearing a cardigan and sipping a PSL.
How gorgeous is this side dish? It stars earthy lentils, sweet roasted squash and tangy Gorgonzola. We can hear your guests’ oohs and ahhs already.
Forget boiling water. The risotto cooks in a purée of roasted butternut squash and chicken broth instead, which turns it super savory and creamy.
Introducing the prettiest bowl of soup you’ll ever eat. The swirly coconut yogurt, roasted peanuts and sesame seeds are a gorgeous finishing touch.
Nope, we’ll never get over sheet-pan dinners. Especially the ones coated in maple-mustard glaze. And even more so if they take less than an hour to make.
Maple syrup, fresh rosemary and spices take this vegetable a long, long way.
If a recipe calls for a whole head of roasted garlic, odds are we want to eat it. Like, ASAP. The melty pepper jack caught our attention, too.
Our favorite part of a salad is always the crispy bits on top. Here, that means cinnamon-maple pecans.
There’s no cure for cold weather like the warm spices of yellow curry powder and a generous dose of chili garlic paste.
Since butternut squash is super moist and creamy, you won’t have to worry about these veggie burgers turning out dry.
Chili-spiced squash meets cabbage-black bean slaw and homemade guacamole. We’ll bring the margaritas.
Flexible recipes are the best recipes. This one calls for acorn squash, but it can be made with butternut, delicata, kabocha or whatever gourd you have on hand.
Forget fussing with pizza dough, homemade or store-bought. Mini pitas will work just fine. We’ll take extra honey and crushed red pepper flakes on ours.
Sure, it usually takes about 5 minutes to make a grilled cheese, not 35. But roasting the garlic and sautéing the squash is so, so worth the extra work. Go ahead, treat yourself.
Want to make lunch for the whole week in 40 minutes? Look no further than this salty, herby stunner.
Our crystal ball says you’re destined to serve it at Thanksgiving. Feel free to move the decorative pumpkins off the table; this salad is pretty enough to be a centerpiece.
Yup, your all-time favorite fall veggie also does dessert. Think sticky toffee pudding meets brown-sugar sheet cake.
