Filling the freezer with squash purée now makes quick work later of cooking squash soup. It can also be used as a filling for homemade ravioli or to bind a risotto.
You can use browned butter or olive oil to add richness. To brown butter, simply place in a saucepan (preferably one that isn’t black so you can see the color more easily), heat until the butter foams and then the milk solids will brown. Hold your nerve and let it get caramel-y. Add it or replace with olive oil for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 big squash
- 4 ounces butter
- salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to anywhere from 325° to 400°. The hotter the oven the faster the cooking.
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Roast until the squash collapses when poked with a prodding finger.
Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. Scoop the flesh out of the skin. Place the squash pulp into a food processor in batches and whiz with a couple good knobs of butter and several pinches of salt. Allow to blend until silky smooth. Continue in batches adding butter for richness and salt for flavor as you go.
