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.
