Butternut Squash

About

Butternut squash and pumpkin are often grouped together for their similar flavor affinities and interchangeable use, though butternut squash is naturally sweeter and needs less added sugar in sweet recipes. Their textures also differ: butternut squash flesh is fine-grained and silky, while pumpkin can be fibrous. Butternut squash's pronounced sweetness works well against salty ingredients, sharp acidity, or, given its dense texture, potent herbs like rosemary and sage.

Pairs well with butternut squash

• WoAlmondIn northern Italy, tortelli pasta is filled with amaretti cookies and pumpkin or squash, the bittersweet almond flavor balancing the…
• SpCinnamonA classic sweet pairing, delicious roasted together or combined in soup.
• FrAppleApple and squash (or pumpkin) combine well in soup, where the apple's fresh acidity and fruitiness balance the vegetable's sweetness, a…
• CiGingerButternut squash and pumpkin are largely interchangeable in recipes, including pumpkin pie, typically spiced with a blend of ginger,…
• EaMushroomSquash and mushroom share an earthy quality that makes them highly compatible; chanterelles in particular carry a faintly fruity,…
• MePorkButternut squash works well in pork stews, whether given a Western treatment with cider, apple, bacon and onion, or an Eastern one with…
• BrBaconThe sweet-salty flavor of this pairing recalls crabmeat, inspiring a vegetable take on crab cakes: grated butternut squash mixed with…
• GrChiliSquash's dry, mild sweetness makes a good base for other flavors, such as in a quesadilla layering mashed squash with pickled or fresh…
• CiLimeSquash's heavy sweetness benefits from lime's sharpness, as in chowders, roasted squash dressed with olive oil and lime juice, tempura…
• ChGoat CheeseSweet, caramelized roasted squash pairs as well with tangy goat cheese as beets classically do.
• BeRosemaryRoasting brings out the intense sweetness and fragrance of both, as in a rustic stew of butternut squash, cannellini beans and rosemary.
• ChBlue CheesePumpkin or squash ravioli is often served with a Gorgonzola sauce, the salty, complex cheese contrasting with the squash's plain…
• SpNutmegNutmeg adds interest to butternut squash's mild sweetness, used in Italian pumpkin-and-ricotta pasta fillings, American pumpkin pies and…
• BeSageRaw butternut squash is bland and starchy, but cooking sweetens it, and sage's assertive, savory flavor gives it a richer, almost meaty…
• WoChestnutA good winter pairing, used in wild rice pilaf and found together in the Potimarron, a French heirloom squash with a naturally…