Roasted Pumpkin or other Winter Squash Yield: varies based on size Prep Time 10 minutes     Cook Time 60 minutes                     Tweet

Recipes are rated from 1 to 5 forks, with 1 fork being the easiest and 5 forks the most challenging.

If you can't find canned pumpkin in the store, you can roast your own, or you can roast any winter squash in a similar manner. Late fall through early spring is pumpkin season, but similar squash varieties are available all year around and will work just as well. Whether you are making pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice oatmeal, squash ravioli, or peanut butter pumpkin dog biscuits, this recipe is easy and works better in most recipes than canned pumpkin. You don't even need a pumpkin, you can use kabocha squash, butternut squash, acorn squash, or any of the other varieties of hard winter squashes available at your grocery store. If you do use pumpkin, it is important not to use the "jack-o-lantern" type pumpkins because they are stringy, bitter, and not grown for human consumption. Look for sugar or pie pumpkins for best results. My favorite squash to roast is kabocha squash, which is typically available all year long in Asian grocery stores.

Ingredients:

Ingredients::

• 1 whole Pumpkin or other hard winter squash (kabocha, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, or similar hard squash)
• 1 spray non-stick oil spray

Special Equipment:

No special equipment is required.

 

Preparation Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Wash and scrub the outside of the pumpkin or squash under warm water.

You can cut the squash in half from stem to tip, or cut it in the middle to avoid the stem. The cut is up to you, whatever you feel comfortable doing; however, longer varieties like butternut squash and spaghetti squash should be cut from stem to tip for even cooking.

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. You can save the seeds for roasting if you would like.

Lightly spray the inside and outside of the squash with a non-stick oil spray. Use your hands to rub the oil spray, evenly distributing it on both the outside and inside of the squash. Don't worry, the oil only adds a few calories to your final cooked squash, but it is very important in evenly distributing the heat while cooking.

Place the squash on a parchment or foil lined baking pan. Place the squash in the oven and bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the squash. Check the squash for tenderness after 30 minutes to gauge the total cooking time. To check the squash, press your finger into several points of the squash, including the top and sides. If the squash feels soft, it is done. If there are parts of the squash that are still firm, leave the squash in the oven and check every 10 minutes.

When the squash is cooked and soft, remove from the oven and let rest on the counter for at least 10 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle. Use a spoon to remove the flesh from the skin. At this point, you can use the squash for any recipe you like, or you can refrigerate the squash in a sealed container for up to a week. You can also freeze the cooked squash for up to a month.

Enjoy!