Clean Eating Roasted Summer Squash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to eat summer squash? ›

Boiled summer squash is a quick and flavorful addition to soups, stir-fries, and pasta entrées. In just a few minutes, the squash is tender and ready to blend into a soup, toss into a wok, or fold into a bowl of pasta.

Most recipes say to either bake or roast butternut squash—but what's the difference? While both cooking methods will turn the tough, raw gourd into a soft, sweet ingredient, roasting butternut squash is the more common process for achieving browned, crispy edges and a creamy interior.

Patty-pan squash

Flavor and texture: Buttery, nutty flavor is considered by some to be the best tasting of all summer squash. Firm texture holds up to high heat. Best for: Enjoy them fresh, stuffed, baked, fried, steamed, or stir-fried.

You can bake or roast it in your oven and top it off with either savory or sweet seasonings. Cinnamon can add sweetness to acorn squash while still being nutritious – or even dessert. You can even eat the skin for added fiber.

Anti-inflammatory Capacity

The anti-inflammatory activity of squash is due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids like lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, as well as somewhat unusual anti-inflammatory polysaccharidescalled hom*ogalacturonan.

In fact, squash peel is completely edible. All of it. It's actually very nutritious too, with plenty of fibre and a rich source of vitamin A. Of course, 'edible' simply means that eating it isn't dangerous, and it doesn't necessarily follow that it will be pleasant to eat.

Summer squash are a little different. The seeds and skin are soft and fully edible. They are sometimes referred to as “soft shell squash” and as such, can be cooked or eaten raw. The entire squash is edible, versus the winter squash's hard seeds and shell that needs to be removed.

Yellow squash does not need to be peeled, because the skin is so tender and thin. If you do prefer to peel your squash, peel it just like you would a carrot or a potato.

You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups. You can also roast the seeds and eat them as a snack or sprinkled over a finished dish.

There could be a few reasons why your roasted butternut squash is turning out soggy: Overcrowding: If you overcrowd the baking sheet with butternut squash pieces, they will release more moisture and steam, making it difficult for them to roast properly.

Is it better to roast squash face up or down? ›

Cut it up and down. Just like when you are baking a pumpkin, you remove the seeds and then put the cut side face down in the pan. This helps it to cook evenly, keeps it from drying out, and prevents burning (the skin will be browned on top, and some sugar may caramelize in the bottom of the pan).

Nutrition and Health Benefits of Summer Squash

Summer squash is a good source of vitamin B6, which helps maintain skin health and red blood cells. Summer squash is a great source of vitamin C, which helps heal cuts and wounds. The rinds are rich in beta-carotene, which helps eye health.

Zucchini is actually a part of the summer squash family, which also includes crookneck, pattypan, and yellow squash. All zucchini are summer squash, but summer squash defines a larger group of seasonal gourds with edible skin and tender flesh.

Summer squash tastes best when small to medium size, not more than eight inches long. Overly large squash may be fibrous, while tiny ones may have inferior flavor.

The peel is edible and mild. Squash can be eaten raw or cooked. Try yellow squash: Baked into your favorite desserts for extra moisture.

Zucchini's sunshiny cousin, yellow squash, is a welcome sign that summer has arrived. Grilled yellow squash is the perfect accompaniment to most any seasonal dish, and it's a delightful ingredient to add to a garden pasta primavera, veggie quesadilla or lasagna, or a classic ratatouille.

And that's a good thing, since cooked squash is incredibly more nutritious (this includes all kinds of squash, like zucchini and acorn), says Bazilian. Pumpkins, like carrots, are rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene, which are much easier to absorb once they have been heated.