Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Popular Ingredients 43 Delicious Squash Recipes to Cook in Any Season Show us any day of the year, and we'll show you a squash variety that's in season. By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Samantha Leffler Samantha Leffler Instagram Website Samantha is the senior food editor at RealSimple and previously launched the US Weekly food vertical, where she wrote about the intersection of food and pop culture. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 26, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: CAITLIN BENSEL Do you only think of squash recipes when you're in the mood for a hearty autumnal soup, or it's time to plan a side for your turkey dinner? Think again. Whether it's fall, winter, spring, or summer, you can count on at least one kind of squash to be in season. And when your favorite isn't available, you can easily freeze squash to enjoy it all year long. From summer squash to winter squash, from acorn to zucchini, there's a delicious array of options to work with. We rounded up 43 of our favorite squash recipes to give you something seriously healthy to enjoy year-round. P.S. Yes, pumpkin is a squash, but we have a whole 'nother list for that. 01 of 43 Summer Nachos Greg DuPree Yes, this dish has "summer" in its title because it stars two of summer's tastiest vegetables—zucchini and corn—but you can make it any time that nacho craving hits. Zucchini is fairly easy to find year-round, though you could substitute summer squash, and canned corn works well if you can't get your hands on the fresh stuff. Try It: Summer Nachos 02 of 43 Slow-Cooker Squash Lasagna Romulo Yanes The only thing better than a lasagna bubbling away in the oven is a lasagna bubbling away in your slow cooker, set-and-forget-style. Two packages of frozen winter squash puree help make prep quick and easy, while ricotta and mozzarella bring next-level creaminess to this meatless main. Try It: Slow-Cooker Squash Lasagna 03 of 43 Summer Squash With Scallions, Chile, and Parsley Greg DuPree If you've never eaten a raw summer squash salad, you're in for a treat. This one packs a double whammy: It tastes delicious and there's no need to cook. Tossing the summer squash and zucchini with salt helps them soften and absorb every bit of flavor. Top with a chopped almond dressing for a light and flavorful finish. Try It: Summer Squash With Scallions, Chile, and Parsley 04 of 43 Kabocha Squash Sticky Buns Brie Passano Though we'll never say no to a traditional sticky bun, these buns lean more savory than sweet. They make for a festive, fall-themed treat and, because you're using two cans of store-bought crescent rolls, it 100 percent qualifies as an easy-to-bake brunch recipe. Try It: Kabocha Squash Sticky Buns 05 of 43 Spaghetti Squash Parmesan Greg DuPree No one will miss the pasta noodles once they taste this creamy, cheesy, comforting meat-free rendition made in a roasted spaghetti squash bowl. And don't skip the breadcrumbs! They add a deliciously salty, crunchy finish to the dish. Try It: Spaghetti Squash Parmesan 06 of 43 Red Lentil Squash Soup With Lemon Caitlin Bensel This isn't your grandmother's lentil soup. It's extra-warming thanks to the delicious combination of butternut squash, carrots, harissa paste, fresh ginger, and plenty of spices. Try It: Red Lentil Squash Soup With Lemon 07 of 43 Summer Squash Farro Bowl Caitlin Bensel If you can't track down zucchini or yellow squash, try making this delicious grain bowl with another sturdy gourd. Pumpkin or kabocha squash pairs well with the other ingredients in this vegetarian meal: namely chickpeas, farro, and avocado. Try It: Summer Squash Farro Bowl 08 of 43 Slow-Cooker Ragù With Spaghetti Squash Caitlin Bensel If you're searching for a hands-off dinner, give this spaghetti squash dish a whirl. The slow cooker does most of the work, and you're left with a feast that pairs pasta-like vegetable noodles with a Bolognese-inspired sauce. Top each plate with freshly grated Parmesan just before serving and you're good to go. Try It: Slow-Cooker Spaghetti Squash Ragù 09 of 43 Goat Cheese and Mushroom–Stuffed Acorn Squash Greg DuPree Thanks to its relative sturdiness, acorn squash is a great gourd to stuff. In this recipe, each squash half is packed with mushrooms, spinach, bread cubes, and goat cheese. Serve with a side salad and you have a delicious vegetarian meal that's ready in under an hour. Try It: Goat Cheese and Mushroom–Stuffed Acorn Squash 10 of 43 Zucchini Pesto Pasta Caitlin Bensel In this dish, pasta is coated with a zucchini-cashew pesto that even vegetable haters won't be able to resist. Zucchini combines with roasted, salted cashews and peppery basil for a pesto that's unique and crave-worthy. It pairs perfectly with the creamy ricotta topping plopped atop the spaghetti. Try It: Zucchini Pesto Pasta 11 of 43 Butternut Squash Soup With Sage and Parmesan Croutons Jim Franco This squash soup is filled with flavor thanks to homemade sage-and-Parmesan croutons, which taste delicious no matter what time of year it is. Serve this satiating soup with a side salad or grilled chicken for a complete meal. Try It: Butternut Squash Soup With Sage and Parmesan Croutons 12 of 43 Butternut Squash Bake With Wild Rice Victor Protasio Billed as the perfect Thanksgiving side, we won't judge you for whipping it up any time the temperature dips below 60 degrees. Butternut joins wild rice, caramelized onions, Parmesan, and mushrooms bathed in a hearty rosemary-infused cream sauce. Serve with a vegetable main or a lean protein to balance out the richness. Try It: Butternut Squash Bake With Wild Rice 13 of 43 Grilled Skirt Steak With Squash Ratatouille Greg DuPree In this dish, bright summer-vegetable flavors—courtesy of yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant—take on deep, charred richness that complements the tender, juicy beef. While perfectly filling on its own, if you're feeling especially hungry, serve it with some buttery herbed rice or classic mashed potatoes. Try It: Grilled Skirt Steak With Squash Ratatouille 14 of 43 Squash, Mushroom, and Kale Soup With Dill Christopher Testani This flavorful, veggie-packed soup comes together in just 30 minutes. In it, you'll find a medley of mushrooms, butternut squash pieces, orzo, and baby kale. A garnish of fresh dill adds a bit of brightness to this delicious meal. Try It: Squash, Mushroom, and Kale Soup With Dill 15 of 43 Mini Squash Calzones Greg DuPree These calzones may be small, but we promise there's a full meal inside these compact hot pockets. Each is filled with caramelized butternut squash and onion, along with fiber-filled Swiss chard and a chili-infused, double-cheese mixture. There's no way you can eat just one of these hand-held bites. Try It: Mini Squash Calzones 16 of 43 Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Leeks Victor Protasio This meatless recipe calls on frozen butternut squash to make a creamy pasta sauce, so this dish works all year round. That sauce, also made with leeks and half-and-half, coats the pasta, which is topped with crunchy store-bought fried onions and Parmesan cheese. All this hearty goodness comes together in less than 30 minutes. Try It: Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta With Leeks 17 of 43 Roasted Butternut Squash With Tahini Sauce Caitlin Bensel Sure, you can roast butternut squash with little more than olive oil, salt, and pepper; but this recipe is next level. The butternut is roasted and tossed in a salty, sweet, creamy tahini-based sauce. Sprinkle the finished dish with pepitas, sesame seeds, and cilantro for added flavor and a satisfying crunch. Try It: Roasted Butternut Squash With Tahini Sauce 18 of 43 Linguine With Squash, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Jim Franco This 30-minute pasta dish is a thrill for your taste buds thanks to sweet butternut squash pieces, salty bacon bits, and tangy, creamy goat cheese crumbles. If you're looking for a crunch, sprinkle some toasted breadcrumbs on the noodles before you dig in. You won't regret it. Try It: Linguine With Squash, Bacon, and Goat Cheese 19 of 43 Baked Barley Risotto With Butternut Squash Jonny Valiant If you're intimidated by the sound of risotto, don't be. We promise this colorful version practically cooks itself. It starts with sautéed butternut and onion joined by barley with white wine and chicken broth. Once the barley is cooked, finish by stirring in some spinach, Parmesan, and butter. Voila! Try It: Baked Barley Risotto With Butternut Squash 20 of 43 Slow-Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili Anna Williams This big-batch recipe is great for game day, and works on just about every other day, too. Mild-flavored zucchini cubes fit seamlessly with seasoned ground beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, and tons of beans. Top each bowl with sour cream, sliced avocado, and fresh cilantro for the full chili experience. Try It: Slow-Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili 21 of 43 Ginger-Coconut Pork With Butternut Squash Victor Protasio This coconut-infused, pork-and-butternut stew is simmered until meltingly tender and deeply flavored. The broth base is coconut water, with soy and fish sauce to bump up the umami, plus garlic and ginger for spice. Finish with sliced scallions and, for even more brightness, add Thai basil, mint, or cilantro. Try It: Ginger-Coconut Pork With Butternut Squash 22 of 43 Spicy Summer Squash Stir-Fry Greg DuPree This veggie-filled meal takes just 20 minutes to make and is packed with zucchini and summer squash, eggplant, jalapeño slices, and unsalted peanuts. A spicy cornstarch-soy sauce mixture surrounds the crisp vegetables served atop white rice. If you don't love spice, leave out the jalapeño. Try It: Spicy Summer Squash Stir-Fry 23 of 43 Roasted Pork Chops and Butternut Squash With Kale Sang An This lean meal pairs juicy bone-in pork chops with roasted butternut squash, kale, and fresh sage. While this recipe takes nearly an hour to make from start to finish, it only requires 30 minutes of hands-on prep. Try It: Roasted Pork Chops and Butternut Squash With Kale 24 of 43 Soy-Simmered Squash With Miso Hummus and Togarashi Greg Dupree This recipe lets winter squash—kabocha or acorn—play a starring role in a Japanese-inspired meatless main dish. Skin-on squash wedges are sautéed and then simmered in a soy-rice wine broth until fork-tender, resulting in deep, savory flavor with every bite. Try It: Soy-Simmered Squash With Miso Hummus and Togarashi 25 of 43 Butternut Squash Fries Yumna Jawad We don't often use "healthy" and "fries" to describe the same recipe, but it's certainly the case with this one. This fiber-packed, oven-baked butternut version tastes like a cross between zucchini and sweet potato fries. Try It: Butternut Squash Fries 26 of 43 Butternut Squash Tartines Victor Protasio A tartine is essentially an open-faced sandwich with a French accent. This recipe could also be called "Squash on Toast," but doesn't tartine sound so much fancier? This one features roasted butternut slices atop toasted country bread slathered with a lemony ricotta spread that's perfect for brunch, lunch, or as an appetizer. Try It: Butternut Squash Tartines 27 of 43 Creamy Butternut Squash and Parsnip Soup Paul Sirisalee Butternut and parsnips share top billing in this bright, creamy soup that's served with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of lime zest. There's no roasting here, which means you can make this from start to finish in just 25 minutes. Try It: Creamy Butternut Squash and Parsnip Soup 28 of 43 Tortellini With Squash, Egg, and Breadcrumbs Gentl & Hyers Chopped zucchini plays an important role in this hearty dish, sautéed with store-bought, cheese-stuffed tortellini. Topped with a fried egg, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs, the whole thing comes together in just 25 minutes. Try It: Tortellini With Squash, Egg, and Breadcrumbs 29 of 43 Butternut Carbonara Antonis Achilleos Carbonara is a traditional Italian pasta dish typically made of cured pork, egg, and grated cheese, and this recipe is all that and more. The "more" is the addition of butternut puree to the sauce, giving it an orange hue, extra nutrients, and a subtle autumnal flavor. Try It: Butternut Carbonara 30 of 43 Cottage Pie Jonny Valiant This British comfort-food classic is a spinoff of shepherd's pie, except it calls for ground beef instead of lamb, and that's where the squash comes in. Cubes of butternut simmered with peas and onions combine with browned ground beef to make the hearty stew at the base of this layered dish. Try It: Cottage Pie 31 of 43 Garlic Toast With Squash, Pesto, and Olive Oil-Braised Chickpeas Jennifer Causey Whether you serve this as an app, snack, side, or a light meal, you'll love how easy these are to assemble and how nutritious they are. A layer of mashed, roasted kabocha squash is spread atop garlicky oiled toast, topped with herb pesto and olive oil-braised chickpeas. Try It: Garlic Toast With Squash, Pesto, and Olive Oil-Braised Chickpeas 32 of 43 Superfood Lentil Salad Victor Protasio Zucchini doesn't get titular credit in this recipe, but it should. This salad features quickly broiled zucchini cubes that mingle with lentils and golden raisins, all dressed in a sunflower seed vinaigrette. Turn this nutritious side into a meal by topping it with avocado, grilled salmon, or pan-crisped tofu. Try It: Superfood Lentil Salad 33 of 43 Roasted Root Veggie Quinoa Bowls Victor Protasio You're right, squash isn't a root veggie, but neither are Brussels or spinach, and they're in this dish, too. They mingle with actual root veggies—parsnips and red onions—for a veggie medley that's a nutritional powerhouse. This recipe calls for store-bought butternut cubes, which helps put this dish on the table in 30 minutes. Try It: Roasted Root Veggie Quinoa Bowls 34 of 43 Ratatouille Maura McEvoy Zucchini joins a bevy of fresh summer produce—onions, eggplant, bell peppers, and tomatoes—in this French vegetable stew. Serve this versatile dish hot or cold, on its own or with eggs, a grilled protein, or tossed with pasta. Try It: Ratatouille 35 of 43 Curried Butternut Squash Soup Antonis Achilleos Touted as an autumnal soup, it's appropriate anytime you're in the mood for a big orange hug. Its flavor comes from red curry paste, fresh ginger, and garlic; and its creaminess from coconut milk and tofu. Try It: Curried Butternut Squash Soup 36 of 43 Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Formula Z/S This one-dish wonder is perfect for a meatless Monday meal. It features broiled chunks of zucchini, eggplant, and onions combined with cooked pasta—ziti or penne—surrounded by tomatoes and feta and topped with mozzarella. Try It: Cheesy Vegetable Pasta 37 of 43 Beef and Beer Pot Pie Greg DuPree A pot pie is comfort with a crust, and this recipe is no exception. Chopped butternut squash livens up the beefy filling, lending it color, nutrients, fiber, and creaminess. The whole thing is topped with a time-saving sheet of puff pastry, making this dish easy as pie. Try It: Beef and Beer Pot Pie 38 of 43 Zucchini Frittata With Parmesan Sheri Giblin Squash for breakfast? Of course...and for brunch, lunch, and dinner, too. This meatless frittata—essentially a crustless quiche—finishes under the broiler to give its top and outer edges a little crispness. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it's ready in just 25 minutes. Try It: Zucchini Frittata With Parmesan 39 of 43 Zucchini-Butter Spaghetti Jennifer Causey Zucchini what? Yes, you read that right. This recipe turns grated zucchini, shallots, garlic, and butter into a decadent, luscious sauce to toss with really any kind of pasta or even your favorite grain. Try It: Zucchini-Butter Spaghetti 40 of 43 Zucchini Tzatziki Slaw Greg DuPree This refreshing summer side starts with the traditional shredded cabbage but adds zucchini shreds to the mix for a lighter, more diverse-tasting slaw. Its Greek-inspired tzatziki sauce skips the cucumber in favor of Greek yogurt, sour cream, lemon, and honey. Try It: Zucchini Tzatziki Slaw 41 of 43 Lemon-Coriander Roasted Chicken With Leeks And Squash This dish is fancy enough for a holiday celebration and rustic enough for a simple one-pot weekend family gathering. A whole chicken roasts atop a bed of acorn squash slices and leeks, which catch all those flavorful chickeny drippings. Try It: Lemon-Coriander Roasted Chicken With Leeks And Squash 42 of 43 Grilled Mediterranean Salad Jennifer Causey No, you're not seeing things: That is a meatless pasta salad with grill marks. Zucchini planks are grilled for this salad—as are red bell peppers and onions, and even the Halloumi cheese—cut into bite-sized pieces, and then tossed with cooked pasta and a vinaigrette. Try It: Grilled Mediterranean Salad 43 of 43 Zucchini Pie Christopher Baker This savory pie is loaded with grated zucchini, provolone, and Parmesan. Crustless and quiche-like, it manages to be rich and light at the same time. It requires only 15 minutes of prep time, but be sure to allow at least 45 minutes to bake and 10 minutes to cool down before serving. Try It: Zucchini Pie 2 Hacks for Peeling Winter Squash or Pumpkins Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit