It’s gorgeous, tasty, but also kind of intimidating when it comes to prepping it for a meal. How do you obtain cubes from those wonderful curves, and how complicated is it to get to the middle of things? Well, it’s not very complicated, so read on to find out how to cut a butternut squash.
Learning how to do it is not very complicated, but at the same time totally worth it! Dietarily speaking, butternut squash is low in fat, but high in flavor, it’s an excellent source of fiber and a good choice for a heart-friendly meal plan.
It’s also rich in potassium, which keeps your bones healthy, and it has plenty of vitamin B6, an essential vitamin for the proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems.
You can use butternut squash in a variety of recipes, from creamy soups to crunchy toasts. It’s great roasted or fried, as a side dish, fits well in risotto, and you can use it in pasta as well!
But how to get to the tasty flesh of the gourd? The plan is simple. Just follow these steps!
How to cut a butternut squash in 7 steps
1. Slice ends
Anchor the large squash with your non-dominant hand. Make sure your cutting board isn’t slippery, so there’s no chance for accidents. Use a sharp, large knife, to slice off the ends of the squash.
Because the squash is a hard veggie, make an initial cut into it, to penetrate the skin. It doesn’t have to be too deep. Just a point to guide the blade of the knife when cutting.
2. Peel the skin
Use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the smooth, beautifully colored skin of the butternut squash. You can do long strips or as much of it as you can! If you want to roast the squash, there’s no need to peel the skin, because let me tell you, it is also delicious.
3. Cut it in half
Using the same precautions with the knife, cut the squash in half, where the neck, or narrower part, meets the seedy body.
4. Cube the neck part
Cut the solid “neck” of the squash in discs and then cube them, with care!
5. Cut the body part
Take the body of the squash and cut it in half, lengthwise.
6. Remove seeds
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds of the butternut squash.
7. Cube the squash body
Cut the two halves in strips and then turn those into cubes. Try to maintain the same cube size for all the pieces, so that they cook evenly!