How to Cook with Butternut, Kabocha, and Delicata Squash

A guide for cooking with winter squash, from butternut to delicata to kabocha

February 3, 2014

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With all the varieties of winter squash at the market, choosing the right type for the right dish can be confounding. We're here to help: Each of our three favorites has a particular talent, so play them to their strengths.

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Butternut
Butternut squash browns beautifully when roasted, enhancing its nutty flavor. Plus, it's resilient (read: It won't turn to mush when cooked). Get the recipe: Braised Lamb with Roasted Squash and Onion Sauce
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Marcus Nilsson
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Kabocha
Despite its thick, tough skin, kabocha's fine-grained and sweet flesh yields the creamiest (almost potato-like) purée. Get the recipe: Kabocha Purée with Ginger
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Delicata
Delicata squash has quick-cooking flesh and thin, edible skin, making it ideal for simply slicing and tossing into soups and stews. Get the recipe: Roasted Squash with Lemon-Tahini Sauce
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Alison Roman is a former senior food editor for Bon Appétit and columnist for the New York Times cooking section. She is the author of bestselling cookbooks Nothing Fancy, Dining In, and Sweet Enough and the host and producer of CNN’s (More Than) A Cooking Show with Alison Roman, the creator of a bi-weekly ... Read More

Senior food editor, emeritus

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