Honeynut squash is a modern marvel, a vegetable that’s younger than the iPhone, YouTube, and Olivia Rodrigo. Now at farmers markets and grocery stores across the country, typically from September to December, the honeynut squash as we know it was released around 2009 as a collaboration between the Plant Breeding and Genetics department at Cornell University and chef Dan Barber’s team at the upstate New York restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Their dream was a shrunken, single-serve butternut squash that needs little more than a high-heat roast to become absurdly delicious. This recipe starts there—then adds some creamy, tangy, spicy toppings to gild the lily.
In 30 minutes, the squashes emerge from the oven tender and browned, with little cups (where the seeds used to be) waiting to be filled. The answer here—as it is with cantaloupe halves for some people, you know who you are—is cottage cheese. Now is the time to get the good stuff. Our test kitchen is devoted to Good Culture, but if you can’t find that brand or another high-quality, whole-milk version, swap in another dairy, like plain Greek yogurt.
The rest of the dish can likewise be treated as a template. If honeynut evades you, opt for any winter squash and adjust accordingly. Cottage cheese and chili crisp would be equally gleeful atop butternut quarters or delicata rings (no need to peel either; roast until tender). If seasoned rice vinegar is in your pantry, use that and skip the added salt and sugar in step 3. Whatever the specifics, it’s a special-enough side dish to also make as a vegetarian main course.
Recipe information
Total Time
50 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place racks in upper and lower third of oven and set a large rimmed baking sheet on lower rack; preheat oven to 425°. Toast ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) on a small rimmed baking sheet on upper rack until slightly darkened and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Let cool.
Step 2
Stir 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings, ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar or white wine vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let sit to lightly pickle while the squash roasts.
Step 3
Toss 4 honeynut squash (2½–4 lb.), trimmed, halved lengthwise, seeds removed in a large bowl with ¼ cup vegetable oil, remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and a generous pinch of freshly ground pepper until well coated. Carefully remove hot baking sheet from oven and arrange squash, cut side down, on baking sheet in a single layer. Roast squash until tender (a fork or chopstick inserted in the center of one should meet with little resistance), 25–35 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, stir 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, and 1½ cups whole-milk cottage cheese in a small bowl to combine; season with salt.
Step 5
Just before serving, arrange squash, cut side up, on a platter. Spoon cottage cheese mixture into divots where seeds used to be, dividing evenly. Top with drained pickled shallots and spoon some pickling liquid over. Drizzle with chili crisp and scatter roasted pumpkin seeds and coarsely chopped mixed tender herbs (such as cilantro, dill, basil, and/or mint) over.
Do Ahead: Shallots can be pickled 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Squash can be roasted 2 hours ahead; store, loosely covered, at room temperature.
