Forms of squash go WAY past butternut and zucchini! Maintain studying to discover ways to prepare dinner a few of my favourite summer season and winter squash varieties.

What number of various kinds of squash have you ever tried? There’s good purpose to transcend butternut and zucchini. Every number of summer season or winter squash has its personal distinctive style and texture, and it lends itself effectively to completely different cooking strategies and dishes. Delicata squash wouldn’t be my first alternative for soup, for instance, however acorn squash or kabocha can be unbelievable. I won’t stuff a patty pan squash, however I’d sauté it to make a scrumptious facet dish.

Under, I’m breaking down 21 widespread varieties of squash and sharing my favourite methods to prepare dinner them. I hope this information encourages you to attempt a spread that’s new to you, opening up contemporary prospects in your kitchen.

Forms of Winter Squash

Butternut Squash

When you’ve solely tried certainly one of these kind of squash earlier than, it’s most likely butternut. This common winter squash has beige pores and skin and agency orange flesh with a frivolously candy taste. You may as well acknowledge it by its lengthy, straight neck and small seed cavity.

As varieties of winter squash go, butternut is extremely versatile. The peeled and cubed squash could be roasted, sautéed, steamed, or simmered into soups and curries. You may as well halve the squash and roast it lower facet down. The gentle roasted flesh is a scrumptious addition to pureed soups, sauces, and desserts. Attempt utilizing this squash in certainly one of these recipes:

Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is one other widespread winter squash selection. This tulip-shaped squash has skinny, darkish inexperienced pores and skin and yellow-orange flesh that has a barely stringy texture.

Acorn squash’s ridges make it tough to peel, so my favourite approach to put together it’s to roast it in halves or quarters with the pores and skin on. The roasted squash is an excellent fall or winter facet dish, or it may be stuffed and served as a predominant. Its gentle flesh can be utilized in pureed soups, sauces, and dips.

These recipes supply an excellent introduction to working with acorn squash:

Delicata Squash

Of all of the varieties of winter squash, delicata is my favourite. You possibly can acknowledge it by its small dimension, its rectangular form, and its distinctive cream-colored pores and skin with inexperienced stripes. I like working with this squash as a result of its skinny pores and skin is edible, which means that you simply don’t should peel it. Plus, when cooked, its darkish yellow flesh is extremely candy and creamy. It has the nickname “candy potato squash” for a purpose!

I most frequently roast this squash, although you may also sauté it and steam it. Attempt it in these recipes:

Kabocha Squash

Also referred to as Japanese pumpkin, kabocha squash is usually utilized in Asian cuisines similar to Japanese and Thai. Although you’re most definitely to search out it at farmers markets and standard grocery shops within the fall and winter, many Asian markets within the US carry it year-round.

This squash has a squat form and clean pores and skin with delicate ridges. A darkish inexperienced kabocha is pictured right here, however the sort of squash can also have pale inexperienced or orange pores and skin. Its flesh is darkish orange, with a starchier, chalkier texture and nuttier taste than butternut or acorn. Like delicata, kabocha squash’s skinny pores and skin is edible.

This squash is nice for roasting, steaming, and including to curries and soups. I like to make use of it in these recipes:

Honeynut Squash

This super-cute winter squash selection has the form of a mini butternut with darkish orange/inexperienced pores and skin. A cross between a butternut and a buttercup squash (extra on this selection beneath!), it has candy and creamy darkish orange flesh.

A great rule of thumb for honeynut squash is you can put together it as you’d butternut. Peel and dice it earlier than cooking, or slice it in half and roast it lower facet down earlier than including the flesh to sauces or soups. It could work properly in any of those recipes:

Spaghetti Squash

Identified for its stringy flesh, spaghetti squash is a kind of squash in contrast to some other. Weighing as much as 5 kilos, spaghetti squash is ovular and ranges in colour from cream to vibrant yellow. When roasted, its frivolously candy flesh divides into skinny strands that mimic pasta.

Attempt my go-to technique for prepare dinner spaghetti squash. Then, serve it as a facet dish dressed with olive oil and sea salt, or high it with pesto, marinara, or your favourite pasta sauce to make it a meal. It’s additionally scrumptious in these spaghetti squash recipes:

Buttercup Squash

When you ask me, buttercup squash is an underrated winter squash selection. It has amazingly candy and creamy vibrant orange flesh, which yields unbelievable soups, sauces, and desserts. It seems much like kabocha squash from the surface, however it has a pale inexperienced circle on the underside, nearly as if there’s a smaller pale squash inside a bigger, darker one. When you see one on the market this season, make sure that to attempt it!

With its distinctive form, this squash could be tough to peel, so I like to recommend roasting halves lower facet down with the pores and skin on. Scoop the gentle flesh out of the pores and skin, and use it in any of those recipes:

Carnival Squash

Carnival squash is an acorn squash selection with thick, colourful pores and skin. I discover that its flesh tends to be sweeter and barely creamier than that of a typical acorn.

Due to its ridged form, the sort of squash is tough to peel. I wish to slice it into halves or quarters and roast it with the pores and skin on to function a facet dish or stuff. You may as well puree the gentle, cooked flesh into sauces or soups. Carnival squash works properly in these recipes:

Turban Squash

Turban squash has vivid orange, inexperienced, and cream coloring. Just like buttercup, it seems like two squashes in a single, with a large base and smaller cap on high. Its pores and skin is hard and thick, so I don’t advocate peeling it. As a substitute, put together this squash as you’d buttercup, or take pleasure in it as a festive fall ornament as an alternative of cooking with it. It has a light taste in comparison with different varieties of squash, so it wouldn’t be my first alternative for utilizing in candy or savory dishes.

Forms of Summer time Squash

Zucchini

When you’re acquainted with any of the varieties of summer season squash on this put up, you positively know zucchini. This common veggie has darkish inexperienced, skinny pores and skin and dense white flesh with a mildly candy taste. It’s a flexible vegetable to maintain in your kitchen. You possibly can sauté it, grill it, roast it, add it to baking recipes, and even eat it uncooked.

A few of my favourite zucchini recipes embrace grilled zucchini, roasted zucchini, stuffed zucchini boats, zucchini noodles, and zucchini fritters. And I’ll by no means flip down a slice of chocolate zucchini bread!

Yellow Squash

Straightneck yellow squash is the most typical number of summer season squash you’ll discover at grocery shops and farmers markets. It has very delicate, pale yellow pores and skin and a sweeter, fruitier taste than zucchini. I like to sauté this squash till tender and serve it as a facet dish—discover my favourite technique on this sautéed yellow squash recipe.

You may as well add uncooked squash to salads (try this pesto pasta salad recipe!), simmer it in vegetable soups, julienne or spiralize it to make veggie noodles, or add it to grilled vegetable skewers. Moreover, it’s an excellent substitute for zucchini in baked items like zucchini muffins and zucchini bread.

Patty Pan Squash

I like patty pan squash as a result of it’s simply. so. CUTE! Its flesh is denser than that of zucchini or yellow squash, however it has an analogous style. Relying on the variability, its actual form and coloring can differ. Some patty pan squashes are pale inexperienced and tulip-shaped, whereas others are darker and resemble a scallop-edged flying saucer. Some are the dimensions of the palm of your hand, whereas others are barely larger than 1 / 4.

Like different varieties of summer season squash, patty pan is unbelievable sautéed, grilled, or roasted. Try this sautéed patty pan squash recipe to show it into a simple facet dish.

Zephyr Summer time Squash

Zephyr squash, a cross between a yellow crookneck squash and a delicata squash–acorn squash hybrid, has a particular look. It’s lengthy and slender, and whereas the higher half is yellow, the blossom finish is mostly inexperienced. However its look isn’t the one particular factor about it. Johnny’s Chosen Seeds, the corporate that first bred it, describes its taste as “unusually scrumptious” and “nutty.” Put together this distinctive squash as you’d widespread yellow squash or zucchini.

Mexicana Summer time Squash

This gray-green Mexican zucchini is common amongst growers for its excessive yields, ease of harvest, and robust illness resistance, however you’ll find it irresistible for its tender flesh and nutty taste. Attempt sautéing it or tossing it on the grill!

Striped Zucchini

Do you know that not all zucchini look the identical? They’re not pictured right here, however golden zucchini are sometimes accessible at farmers markets. You possibly can establish them by their darkish yellow pores and skin and agency flesh.

Much less widespread are striped zucchini, which embrace the Dario and Safari varieties (pictured above). With their white or gentle inexperienced stripes, these patterned squash are a deal with to have a look at. Use them as you’d common inexperienced zucchini.

Spherical Zucchini and Squash

These summer season squash varieties go by many names. There’s yellow One Ball squash, inexperienced Eight Ball, and pale, striped Ronde de Good. All of them are varieties of spherical zucchini or summer season squash. Their form makes them excellent for stuffing, however you may also grill, roast, or sauté them as you’d common zucchini.

Extra Forms of Squash to Know

I’ve highlighted a few of my favourite varieties of squash above, however there are nonetheless others that you simply would possibly discover at your market or retailer. Look out for…

Hubbard Squash

Hubbard squash often is the largest of the varieties of squash on this listing. It sometimes weighs 12 to fifteen kilos, and typically extra! This winter squash selection has a spherical middle and pointed ideas, with bumpy flesh which may be blue-green, darkish inexperienced, or orange. Due to its massive dimension, it’s a superb ornamental squash, although its orange, considerably grainy flesh can also be well-suited to soups and purees.

Pink Kuri Squash

Pink kuri squash, additionally referred to as Hokkaido squash, is a child Hubbard squash selection. It has frivolously candy, nutty, and clean orange flesh with a vibrant orange pores and skin. Put together it as you’d kabocha squash, or attempt it on this kuri squash soup!

Yellow Crookneck Squash

You possibly can acknowledge crookneck squash by its attribute curved neck and vibrant yellow, bumpy pores and skin. It has bigger seeds than straightneck squash, however its agency flesh and wealthy, buttery taste make it scrumptious nonetheless. Attempt it sautéed!

Chayote Squash

Lots of the varieties of summer season squash on this put up look related…not chayote squash! This pale inexperienced selection is pear-shaped, and it has crisp, agency flesh not in contrast to that of a cucumber, although it’s additionally nice cooked. Native to central Mexico, it shines in salads and sautés.

Costata Romanesco

This ridged, striped zucchini is an Italian heirloom selection. It has a nutty taste and is great uncooked or cooked. Thinly sliced, it will be scrumptious in a easy zucchini salad.

Cousa Squash

Hailing from the Center East, pale inexperienced cousa squash has a sweeter taste than common zucchini. The small summer season squash are quick, squat, and gently tapered from stem to blossom finish. Left to develop bigger, they turn out to be ovular, related in form to spaghetti squash. The small squash are excellent for stuffing, however you may also roast or sauté them like zucchini.

What are your favourite varieties of squash? Let me know within the feedback!