Squash & Gourds
1180 recipes found
Ultimate Veggie Meatballs
On busy weeknights when you crave comfort, these vegetarian meatballs are the answer. Texture is the star of this recipe. The combination of halloumi, zucchini and couscous creates the perfect balance, as the mixture is dry enough to be formed into balls and fried; it’s also light and fluffy yet sturdy enough to be cooked in rich tomato sauce. Fresh herbs add a vibrant touch, enhancing the dish’s overall lightness. For a classic “Lady and the Tramp” moment, serve these over a tangle of spaghetti. They also pair beautifully with couscous or bulgur, or a fresh green salad. This crowd-pleasing vegetarian dish just might make you forget its more traditional meaty predecessor.
Creamy Butternut Squash and Coconut Noodle Soup
Sweet, savory, and full of flavor, this easy weeknight noodle soup takes a cue from the warmly comforting northern Thai dish khao soi, with a curry-spiced coconut broth and toppings that offer crunch and contrast. First, the butternut squash is simmered in the fragrant broth until very tender. Then the squash is mashed, becoming one with the coconut milk before stock and sweet and savory seasonings are added (to keep the soup vegetarian, use soy sauce instead of fish sauce). You can use any type of egg noodles here, from wide dried egg noodles to flat fresh egg noodles (sometimes labeled as wonton noodles). Ladle the flavorful squash broth over the noodles and garnish with as much garnish as your heart and stomach desires. Those toppings can be — but are not limited to — a lot of lime juice to cut the richness, cilantro, sliced fresh shallots, crispy shallots, fried noodles, chile oil or pickled mustard greens.
Rice and Squash Bombe
This pita-crusted rice and squash bombe is a celebratory showstopper, capable of upstaging any roast or standing alone as the centerpiece of a vegetarian feast. The technique of encrusting pilaf in crisp bread is inspired by fruit-studded Azerbaijani shakh plov and Persian polo ba tahdig. It’s a bit fiddly, with three components to prepare — rice, cumin-roasted shallots and squash, and saffron butter — but none of them are complicated. Cook them in advance, but assemble the bombe when you’re ready to bake it off. Make sure to butter the baking bowl heavily and overlap your pitas without gaps. If in doubt, arm yourself with more pitas than the recipe calls for, in case yours are a bit dry when you take them out of the packet — you may need spares for patching.
Beef Dumplings With Zucchini, Tofu and Chives
These beef dumplings are packed with zucchini and tofu, which keep the filling tender and juicy. The ground meat is lightly marinated before mixing with plenty of buchu, a lovely allium with long flat leaves and a mild garlic flavor. (You can find these fragrant Korean chives in any Korean market). There’s a hidden surprise here, too: Buttery pine nuts get tucked into each dumpling before enclosing them.
Sticky Date and Pecan Pudding
This sticky date and pecan pudding is a decadent dessert that combines the best of both the classic sticky toffee pudding and a self-saucing pudding. A light, airy batter is topped with a layer of pecans, butter, date molasses, sugar and water. As the cake batter rises, the butter and sugars dissolve and settle on the bottom of the dish to create a moist cake crowned with perfectly roasted pecans and a rich toffee sauce beneath. Served fresh from the oven with a dollop of sour cream, this pudding delivers a delightful combination of sweet, salty and tangy flavors in every bite. While you can bake it all in one go, this recipe is designed for convenience, so you can assemble it ahead of time then pop it into the oven to bake while you enjoy your meal. This ensures it’s served at its best, warm and fresh from the oven, as this cake is at its most delicious when the sauce has just stopped bubbling beneath.
Roasted Squash and Bacon Salad
This sweet and savory sheet-pan recipe has everything you want in a full-meal salad: caramelized winter squash, crisp bacon, mustard-dressed kale, maple-toasted pecans and piquant blue cheese. By using one sheet pan for all the cooking, the bacon’s smoky drippings coat the squash for added flavor, and clean-up is a breeze. This salad can be eaten right when it’s made, warm or at room temperature — leftovers are great for lunch the next day. If you have them, feel free to add fresh apples or grapes, dried dates or cherries or another bitter green like radicchio or frisée.
Cinnamon Toast Cookies
Buttery-sweet like cinnamon toast in the snackable size of a crouton, these lovable cookies are quick to make and quicker to eat. Start by coating cubes of white bread in a mixture of melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. For a slightly more grown-up flavor, use a pumpkin-spice blend instead of straight cinnamon. As the cubes bake, the bread toasts and the sugar caramelizes. Then sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar for sparkle and crunch. Enjoy by the handful, over ice cream or in a bowl of milk by the spoonful. Or give them to friends and watch them smile wide, then grab another.
Holiday Rocky Road
Rocky road might be synonymous with ice cream in the United States, but, in Australia and Britain, it’s a fudgelike candy made by stirring any assortment of marshmallows, dried fruit and nuts into melted chocolate. (In Australia, gummy candies also feature.) This recipe relies on the subtle aroma of speculoos cookies, spice drops and pumpkin pie spice to evoke the holidays. You can also use it as a guide to utilize leftovers from gingerbread house decorating: Swap the cookies for broken gingerbread and the marshmallows and gumdrops for any chewy candy.
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Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
This mousse-like pumpkin pie gets its light, airy texture from meringue.
Kristen Kish’s Squash and Coconut Milk Custard
In my take on a Thai dish called sankaya faktong, roasted squash halves are filled with coconut milk that’s cooked into a savory crème brûlée of sorts — delightfully jiggly — then topped with brown butter and walnuts. I like to serve it as a starter or as a side with roasted chicken; the coconut flavor gives the squash that sweet-savory mix. This recipe, adapted from “Kristen Kish Cooking” (Clarkson Potter, 2017), is a great autumn dish that would make a nice veggie option at Thanksgiving.
Hobakjuk (Korean Squash Porridge)
Traditionally made with kabocha squash, this soothing porridge showcases the natural velvety texture of winter squash. Make this when squash is in season, as the flavor of the porridge will be best when the gourds are at their peak, both nutty and sweet; use kabocha, butternut or any orange-fleshed squash or pumpkin. Sweet white rice, also known as glutinous rice, becomes sticky and thickens the mixture naturally as it cooks. Typically topped with slivered Korean dates and pine nuts, a more modern, crunchier nut-and-seed topping contrasts this creamy, bisque-like soup. Leftovers freeze very well.
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Winter Squash Panang Curry
Panang curry is a staple of Malaysian and Thai cuisine, renowned for its ultra-rich, nutty sauce and well-balanced sweetness from coconut cream and panang curry paste. While it's traditionally made with beef, this plant-based version swaps in winter squash, such as kabocha, transforming the dish into a comforting autumn meal or side dish.
Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Mousse Tart
This dessert, featured in “Barefoot Contessa Family Style” (Clarkson Potter, 2002), was inspired by a pumpkin mousse that my mother had made for years for Thanksgiving. It’s lighter and much more flavorful than that cloying old pumpkin pie. People really do go nuts for it.
Hoisin-Peanut Shrimp and Slaw
Inspired by Vietnamese fresh spring rolls dipped into peanut sauce, this simple-to-prepare meal features sticky glazed shrimp and a lively salad of crunchy vegetables, sprightly herbs, crispy fried onions and a creamy peanut dressing. Hoisin sauce helps streamline the ingredient list; the sweet, salty, umami-filled condiment coats the shrimp before a quick broil and adds depth to the dressing. And by using a coleslaw blend, preferably one with a mix of vegetables, chopping is minimal, too. This recipe quickly feeds a crowd, but it can also be halved to serve four on a weeknight. For a heartier meal, eat with rice noodles or rice.
Spicy Molasses-Stewed Winter Squash
Sweet, starchy slices of roasted kabocha squash are stained in a dark brown gravy in this vegetarian recipe, which can serve as a side but also makes a stunning centerpiece. Onions, bell peppers and soy sauce sing a savory melody, and fruity tamarind balances the dish with welcome acidity. Kabocha squash is a sturdy winter squash that does very well in this preparation, but other winter squash varieties like acorn, butternut or red kuri can be stewed to success. Skip the peeling if you're not fussy, and save the seeds for roasting as you would pumpkin seeds.
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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
This luxurious take on baked mac and cheese is our go-to make-ahead meal in the fall.
Pumpkin Spice Honeycomb Cake
This take on bánh bò nướng, a classic Vietnamese dessert, is spiced with comforting fall flavors and doused in white chocolate — and integrates pumpkin purée. Also known as honeycomb cake, this dessert has a dense, chewy interior, with a crusty exterior that makes it so snackable. Besides the irresistible flavor and texture, the recipe offers a delicious gluten-free option for your dessert table. The batter requires a few rounds of straining through a large fine-mesh sieve, so make sure to set up your work station for success, with two large bowls that can accommodate the batter. Try to not overmix, and use gentle stirring motions to prevent too many bubbles forming in the batter. A reliable nonstick Bundt pan will make unmolding the cake a breeze.
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Sangkaya Faktong (Thai Kabocha Pumpkin Custard)
The Thai dessert sangkaya faktong features a creamy pandan-scented coconut milk custard cooked inside a kabocha squash—aka a kabocha pumpkin—until tender. This recipe swaps the traditional steaming for baking, for sangkaya faktong with a more intense flavor. Once sliced into wedges, it’s even better than pumpkin pie.
Maple-Roasted Squash With Charred Lemon
This colorful roasted squash dish is both bracing and sweet. Charred bits of lemon balance the maple syrup, which almost candies the squash as it roasts, while cardamom and coriander add a perfumed, sophisticated touch. Using a mix of winter squashes will give you the most interesting flavors and textures since they’re all a little different. Any combination of delicata, butternut, honey nut and kabocha works very well. The only variety to avoid is acorn, which has a starchier texture that doesn’t absorb the syrup as well as the others.
Pumpkin Biscuits With Honey Butter
These moist, buttery, pumpkin-y biscuits are the perfect use for that last bit of pumpkin purée in the can. They boast crunchy tops, soft centers and a flavor that lands somewhere between sweet and savory. They come together in no time at all, with just a bowl and a spoon, and their cheery orange hue makes them a perfect addition to any holiday table. The biscuits are best warm from the oven but can be reheated in a low oven or toaster oven just before serving. Don’t forget the sweet and salty honey butter on the side, which makes these biscuits extra special.
Pumpkin Pecan Sheet Cake
Can’t decide which pie to bake this holiday? Take dessert in a different direction with this spiced pumpkin cake slathered in brown sugar caramel and showered with toasted pecans. This cake owes its pillowy texture to a lush, mayonnaise-like base made by slowly streaming oil into long-whipped, room-temperature eggs. The addition of corn syrup ensures the cake stays moist for days; there is no substitute for it. To keep the topping gooey, don’t stir it once off the heat. Excessive stirring will cause it to crystalize and set with a brittle texture.
Quick Dill Pickles
Relative to salt brine pickles, which rely on lactic acid fermentation for their funk, these quick pickles are ready almost instantly thanks to the fast work of a hot vinegar brine. Dry toasting the spices before adding them to the brine amps up their peppery and citrusy aromas, while sprigs of fresh dill offer that classic pickle flavor. For the crispiest pickle, seek out squat Kirby cucumbers, whose thick skins allow the spears to stay snappy for weeks. Serve alongside sandwiches, barbecue, fried chicken or any meal that could use a refreshing, salty bite.
Giant Roasted Vegetable Platter
A giant platter of colorful roasted vegetables is a perfect party side that you can make in advance. The vegetables can be cut up the day before and stored in the fridge. You can roast them a few hours before serving, and reheat them for 7 to 15 minutes at 350 to 400 degrees (they are very forgiving) or serve them at room temperature. Then garnish to your heart’s content – a mix of jewel-like pomegranate seeds, cumin or sesame seeds, herbs, swirls of garlicky yogurt and dashes of hot honey will make everything pop. To make a vegan version of this dish, you can substitute tahini sauce for the yogurt sauce and skip the hot honey.
Sesame-Swirled Pumpkin Pie
The addition of sesame in two forms — as oil and in tahini — results in a sumptuous spin on this Thanksgiving staple. Just a couple of teaspoons of toasted sesame oil lends a nutty savoriness that makes this longtime holiday favorite feel new and exciting, and a slightly sweetened tahini mixture, swirled into the pumpkin custard, creates a striking marbled surface. Gently cooling the pie in the oven will help prevent cracking, though depending on your tahini’s fat content, it may end up splitting slightly along the swirl lines. It will still be beautiful and delicious. (Watch me make my Thanksgiving pies on YouTube.)