This is my favorite way to cook most types of winter squash—halved through the stem, first roasting flat-side down, which initiates the cooking by steaming, and then flipping it over so the excess liquid cooks off. Then, by coarsely mashing, seasoning, and storing the squash to use later in the week, you've got an ingredient that'll yield more types of dishes than would be easily available to you if you were to have cubed and roasted leftover squash. It's a spread, a sandwich filling, sweet component of a frittata, the starting point of an easy appetizer. 

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 to 3 cups mashed squash

　　1 medium butternut squash, 3 to 4 pounds, or other similar winter squash

　　Olive oil

　　Salt

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

Cut the squash in half lengthwise through the stem. (Don’t bother scooping out the seeds.) Rub the squash halves all over with olive oil and place each piece on a baking sheet, cut-side down. Roast for 25 minutes, then flip the squash and continue cooking until tender all over, another 10 to 30 minutes—you should be able to pierce the neck of the squash with a paring knife and meet very little resistance. Allow to cool, then scoop out the seeds and discard them. Use a spoon to scoop all of the flesh into a bowl and discard the skins. Coarsely mash the squash with a spoon or fork and season with salt. Packed in an airtight container, it will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

　　From Start Simple. Copyright © 2020 by Lukas Volger. Reprinted with permission by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.Buy the full book from Harper Collins or from Amazon.