Whoever came up with the name for honeynut squash was a marketing genius. How could it not be super sweet and silky soft with a name like that?
Little honeynuts look like baby butternut squash, and their bright orange flesh tastes similar but – true to their name – sweeter. Too tiny to peel and cut into chunks like a full-sized butternut, they’re best prepared the way you would acorn squash: cut them in half through the stem, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and roast them cut side up until they’re meltingly soft. (In fact, if you can’t find honeynut squash at your local farm stand, acorn squash would make a good substitute in this recipe.)
To enhance their sweetness, I glaze these little beauties with butter and maple syrup while they’re roasting. The hole left behind where the seeds used to be makes a very convenient little vessel for holding melted butter and syrup – just dip a brush in periodically and swipe it across the surface of the squash until they’re shiny and caramelized and tender all the way through.
Roasted Honeynut Squash pairs well with all kinds of hearty, savory fall dishes, especially other roasted things like turkey, roast chicken, roast beef or pork.
Prep tips, making this ahead, and what to do with leftovers:
- To prep ahead, halve the squash and scoop out the seeds and pulp, then wrap each half individually in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to a few hours.
- For the best texture and gorgeous syrupy glaze, serve these immediately after roasting; they can sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, but don’t let them cool completely.
- If I end up with leftovers, I like to scoop the flesh out of the skins, discard the skins, and mash the flesh into a thick puree. It will keep for several days; reheat in the microwave.
Roasted Honeynut Squash
Honeynut squash is available at farm stands in the fall. If you can't find it, substitute acorn squash.
Ingredients
- 3 honeynut squash
- 3 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
- Cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the oven to 400 degrees on the Roast setting if it has one. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2 Cut each squash in half through the stem. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center cavity of each squash half. If there is a smaller area in the top portion of the squash that looks pulpy, scoop that pulp out, too. (Some honeynut squash will have pulp in the top section, some will not.) Arrange the squash on the parchment lined baking sheet, cut side up.
- Step 3 Cut the butter into 6 pieces and put one piece (½ tablespoon) in the center cavity of each squash half. Roast the squash for 5 minutes.
- Step 4 Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Sprinkle a pinch of cayenne pepper into each squash cavity. Pour ½ tablespoon of maple syrup into each cavity. Use a pastry brush to gently stir together the melted butter and syrup in each squash cavity and then brush some of the mixture over the entire surface of the squash flesh. Sprinkle the squash with kosher salt.
- Step 5 Roast for 15 minutes. Use the pastry brush again to pick up some more of the butter/syrup mixture from the squash cavities and brush the glaze over the flesh.
- Step 6 Roast for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until a sharp knife slides easily into the thickest part of the flesh with no resistance. If your oven does not have a Roast setting, you might want to turn on the broiler for a minute or two at the end, to get the tops of the squash nicely caramelized (optional). Serve immediately.
