Butternut Squash | In Season

Pureed, roasted and baked, Butternut Squash — a New England favorite — makes winter a sweeter season.

It’s one of the best-tasting, easiest squashes to cook with—once you get the peel off—and the base of many a soul-warming soup. It also has deep New England roots. Butternut squash got its start in Massachusetts in the 1940s, but when the Waltham Field Station released an improved, more stable variety in 1970, it quickly came to dominate the market. And with good reason: the flesh is smooth and sweet; the color a vivid orange. Its smooth, oblong shape makes it easier to handle than, say, the round and ridged acorn. And a decent vegetable peeler can actually take care of the hard peel in a couple of passes.

The following recipes make delicious use of this early winter staple, but for an even easier take, simply slice or cube the flesh, toss it in oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400°, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned and tender, about 30 minutes.