recipes

May These 35 Winter Squash Recipes Light the Way to Spring

Make the most of your cold weather produce.
Image may contain Cutlery Fork Food Dish Meal Platter and Plant
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boystova

A trusty list of winter squash recipes is a cold weather essential, so bookmark it, screenshot it, print it and stick it to your fridge with magnets, whatever. While the idea of trudging to the farmers market anytime before April sounds bleak, it'll be worth the effort. Whether you’re buying acorn, butternut, or kabocha squash, these iconic winter fruits are at their peak right now—hefty, creamy, and perfectly sweet. Not to mention, this crazy-good-for-you gourd truly does it all. We’re talking about the roasted squash covered in peppy green mole. The soft, custardy frittata that pulls double duty as a low-fuss dinner. And the creamy, crave-worthy baked pasta that’s just as delicious with hardly any (okay, less) of the cheese. February is a dark and harrowing month, but let these winter squash recipes brighten the mood.

  • Image may contain Bowl Food Dish Meal and Soup Bowl
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio
    1/35

    Brothy Beans With Kimchi and Squash

    This stick-to-your-ribs stew gets heft from creamy white beans and winter squash.

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  • Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    2/35

    Winter Squash Bharta

    Bharta is a Bangladeshi style of seasoned meat or mashed vegetables usually served at room temperature alongside hot steamed rice.

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  • Photo by David Malosh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Cindy Diprima
    3/35

    Squash au Vin

    Something very special happens when you give winter squash the coq au vin treatment.

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  • Photograph by Jessica Pettway, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    4/35

    Pumpkin Hot Sauce

    This spicy, velvety hot sauce works on everything from tamales to scrambled eggs, or you can add oil and vinegar to turn it into a vinaigrette.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    7/35

    Squash and Radicchio Salad With Pecans

    This squash-centric salad has an irresistible pecan dressing and hardy radicchio that refuses to wilt.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    8/35

    Butternut Squash Parmesan

    This twist on traditional eggplant Parmesan has fewer steps (no need to fry!) but no less satisfaction.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boystova
    9/35

    Squash With Yogurt Sauce and Frizzled Onions

    For this vegetarian main, crispy-sweet red onions roast alongside the squash for a finishing dose of flavor and texture.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    10/35

    Roasted Winter Squash with Kale Pipian

    This bright green style of mole is made by blending pumpkin seeds into a smooth paste (kind of like how pine nuts work in pesto). The oil in the seeds adds body and rich flavor to the sauce.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    11/35

    Winter Squash Frittata

    This ain't your regular 15-minute frittata. For soft, custardy, light layers like those found in Japanese-style omelets, cook the eggs over a low flame, folding the curds over themselves, and then finish in a low oven.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    12/35

    Squash and Caramelized Onion Tart

    For a vegetarian main that can hold its own at the center of the table, this tart makes a very convincing argument.

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  • 17/35

    Roasted Squash and Cauliflower With Cashew Tonnato

    Tonnato is a creamy Italian sauce that combines from-scratch mayo with preserved tuna, lemon juice, and anchovies, and is classically spooned over thinly sliced veal. This one is different. It gets creaminess from cashews instead of eggs, and, along with the dukkah spice mix, will gussy up any tray of roasted vegetables you make.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li
    18/35

    Butternut Squash Steaks With Brown Butter-Sage Sauce

    Applying the classic steakhouse butter-basting technique to slabs of butternut squash turns it into a hearty vegetarian main.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Chris Morocco, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen
    19/35

    Sheet-Pan Salmon and Squash With Miso Mojo

    Spiking fresh orange and lime juices with a shot of rice vinegar gives the sweet citrus flavor an edge to stand up to rich fish and earthy roasted vegetables.

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  • Alex Lau
    20/35

    Butternut Squash Shakshuka

    If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet for this shakshuka recipe, just cook everything in a medium skillet and transfer to a 2-quart baking dish before cracking the eggs.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen
    21/35

    Lamb and Winter Squash Soup

    If you can’t find delicata squash in your neck of the woods, acorn or butternut will do the trick.

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  • Christopher Testani
    22/35

    Winter Squash Agrodolce

    A vinegar-and-chile glaze adds heat to sweet squash, spicing up the traditional Thanksgiving (or anytime) flavor profile.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Emily Eisen
    29/35

    Roasted Squash and Grains with Tahini-Honey

    Make a double batch of the tahini-honey sauce at the beginning of the week to use on salads, as a dip for crunchy vegetables, or drizzled over seared salmon.

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  • Peden + Munk
    30/35

    Spicy & Healthy Chicken Soup

    Chicken soup is the ultimate comfort food. This healthy version packs spicy flavor, thanks to jalapeño. The squash and cabbage greens are bright and seasonal, but you can add whatever veggies you like.

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