Sweeter Than Butternut, This Squash Has 10-Out-Of-10 Flavor When Simply Roasted

If the quintessentially autumnal butternut squash has become a regular on your shopping list, keep your eyes peeled for another winter squash at your local supermarket, farmers' market, or farm stand from late September to December: honeynut squash. Butternut squash's sweeter, smaller cousin, these little 4- to 6-inch squashes have a more concentrated, almost honey-like sweetness (hence the name) and a nutty flavor that gets richer after some cooking. Its unique flavor comes down partly to its smaller size and how it was bred. The prized vegetable is a collaboration between Cornell University plant breeder Michael Mazourek and chef Dan Barber of two-Michelin-starred Blue Hill at Stone Barns, who developed it in their quest to create a squash that put flavor at the forefront. And that's exactly what it does.

Butternut squash needs to be peeled well for a silky result, but with its much thinner skin, the honeynut doesn't need peeling at all. For anyone who has ever wrestled with squash and a vegetable peeler, this is a very appealing quality. Its thin skin has another interesting feature — it changes from green to warm orange to let you know when it's ripe and ready to eat. And since it's significantly smaller than a butternut or pumpkin, chopping it into bite-sized pieces is easier as well.

Honeynut squash was literally engineered for simple preparations, so you really don't need to do much more than season it and toss it into a 425-degree-Fahrenheit oven. Cut it lengthways or into cubes and roast for 20 to 30 minutes. No matter how you slice it, you can prepare it much like you would butternut squash. The goal is to complement its sweet taste rather than bury it under other flavors, so sometimes it just needs a hot oven, a little seasoning, and enough time to caramelize the edges. 

Since it's never going to lack in sweetness, you can sprinkle honeynut squash with fresh rosemary and thyme, smoked paprika, crumbled feta, or a squeeze of lemon once it comes out of the oven, and then eat it as a side dish. For a more substantial meal, try stuffing the squash halves with wild rice and walnuts as you would acorn squash, or, for a more dessert-like finish, brush slices with butter, cinnamon, and maple syrup during the final few minutes in the oven to truly lean into its sugary notes. If you do happen to spot some at the store, grab the opportunity — that divine caramel-like sweetness couldn't be easier to achieve. You may have just met your new favorite squash.