Butternut Squash Noodles Tips
- To cut this into noodles, you’ll need a sturdy spiralizer—a cheap, handheld spiralizer won’t do the job. I like to use my spiralizer’s thickest noodle blade, which is blade D if you have one (affil link).
- To roast them in a single layer, two sheet pans are required.
- For meal prep, you can purchase them already chopped or chop them ahead of time and store them in ziplock bags in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Butternut Squash Noodles
Tommy enjoys butternut squash noodles but dislikes zucchini noodles. The best part is that they cook in about 10 minutes and don’t become soggy like zucchini, though if you cook them for too long, they can become soft and break.
The only portion of the butternut that can be spiralized is the top, straighter section; the bottom, seed-filled portion is not solid and cannot be spiralized. Keep the bottom portion aside for these vegetarian butternut enchiladas, roasted butternut and Brussels sprouts, or butternut breakfast burrito bowls. One large butternut squash will serve two people for this recipe. After being trimmed and peeled, the top portion that is spiralized should weigh roughly 20 ounces.
How to cook butternut squash noodles
There are three different ways to cook butternut squash noodles: either from scratch or by purchasing premade noodles. You can roast in the oven, sauté over the stovetop, or boil. Although I haven’t discovered that produces the best texture, you could also microwave the noodles.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the butternut squash noodles, similar to spaghetti, for two to four minutes. Although this method isn’t my favorite, it still works well and is excellent if you already have noodles boiling in a pot or if you’re combining half pasta and half noodles in a single pot. Just watch the squash carefully to prevent it from becoming too soft.
First, sauté some aromatics with some fat. Thus, you can use butter, olive oil, or other cooking oils with onions, garlic, or both. Next, include the butternut squash noodles and sauté for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring the noodles with tongs often to ensure they cook through. They will become softer and smaller as they cook.
Fresh herbs, cheese, or other toppings like sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, etc., can be added to finish it off.
The final method of preparation involves roasting the butternut squash in the oven. I enjoy roasting any type of root vegetable, and these noodles made with butternut squash are no different. You can either put them straight into a casserole dish with some seasoning, butter, or olive oil, or you can line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The butternut squash noodles can be baked for just ten minutes, which is a great hands-off method!
As a side dish, I usually base my cooking method choice on what else I’m serving the butternut squash with. For instance, when I’m making pesto spaghetti on the stovetop with noodles and shrimp, I like to sauté. Alternatively, if I’m serving them with oven-baked salmon, I might go with the roasting method.