Have you ever cooked with baby squash? It’s a type of summer squash, mini-sized. They look super cute, don’t they?
If you’re wondering how to cook with baby squash, the best answer to roast them. Their texture is just like that of the typical summer squash: tender and juicy with a thin skin. The only prep required is to remove the tough stems before roasting.
In this recipe, I use a small amount of soy sauce and brown sugar to help with the caramelization. We all know that we need to keep the surface of the vegetables dry, so we can roast them properly instead of steaming them. In this case, we use the minimum amount of liquid, so it will evaporate quickly without preventing the squash from crisping up.
At the end, I sprinkled some Japanese red pepper mix (Shichimi togarashi) on top. The pepper mix contains seven ingredients – coarsely ground red chili pepper, sansho pepper, roasted orange peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger, and roasted seaweed. It adds a nice touch to the squash and makes them even more flavorful. If you get a bottle of this pepper mix, you can sprinkle it on practically anything: French fries, fried chicken, noodle soup, other roast veggies, salad, et cetera.
To create a quick dinner, you can roast these baby squash with a honey soy sauce glazed salmon or some 5-ingredient baked chicken thighs. These two main dishes require a slightly higher oven temperature (425 F), but the squash will be just fine. You can finish prepping in 10 minutes and your dinner will be ready in 30.
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it #omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
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Roasted Baby Squash
Ingredients
- 1 bag (2 pounds) baby squash , stems removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- Japanese red pepper mix (Shichimi togarashi) (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Pat dry baby squash with paper towel. Transfer into a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Toss with a pair of tongs until the squash are evenly coated. Transfer onto the baking sheet. Move larger squash to the edges/rims of the baking sheet. Make sure to leave some space between them, so they won’t be steamed and will crisp up nicely. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip, then bake for another 10 minutes, or until the surface is charred and the inside turns tender.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
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Did you make this? I want to see! Tag @OmnivoresCookbook on Instagram, and rate the recipe below.
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
I haven’t cooked with these baby squash, Maggie, and now I will have to keep an eye out for them. Gorgeous! I’m always learning so much from you and your kitchen magic 🙂
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
I’m with Chris – this looks like a wonderful dinner to me! I am fascinated with these little squash – and will look for them at the market. Yes to the red pepper … always! Sharing and pinning
Megan @ Meg is Well
This dish is so beautiful! I always have such a hard time finding Japanese red pepper mix but I hope I can snag some up-that would be such a great topping.
Chris Scheuer
I could make a meal out of these beautiful squash Maggie. They look delicious, can’t wait to pick some up. Love the sweet-savory glaze!