Butternut squash is a delicious and versatile vegetable, boasting a sweet flavor similar to pumpkin. This orange-fleshed vegetable is a nutritious choice and boasts plenty of potassium, which is beneficial for blood pressure, along with fiber that’s good for healthy blood sugar levels.
There are various ways to cook squash, but boiling is an especially quick and simple method. So, if you’re wondering how long to boil butternut squash, read on for some helpful tips.
Boiled squash can be used to make all kinds of delicious dishes including:
- Stew
- Risotto
- Soup
- Pasta
- Wraps
- Mash
- And much more!
How Long to Boil Squash
This vegetable isn’t one that can be served crisp or al dente (like broccoli, for example) and is best served tender or even softer if you plan to mash it. Unless you are going to make a puree, it’s important not to overcook butternut squash, because it will get mushy if you do.
How long to boil butternut squash depends on how you prepare the squash to begin with. Bear in mind that the smaller and/or thinner the pieces, the less time it will take to become tender in boiling water.
| ½-inch cubes | 7-9 minutes |
| 1-inch cubes | 9-11 minutes |
| Spiralized into spaghetti thickness “noodles” | 3-4 minutes |
How Long to Boil Butternut Squash to Mash
If you’re going to mash the squash, you will want to boil it until very soft. That way, it will be much easier to mash and you will get a better result.
A good question is how long does it take for squash to boil, since the water has to reach boiling point before you add the vegetable to it. How long it takes to bring a pot of water to a boil depends on the pot you’re using and how hot your burners get.
When the water reaches a boil, you can add the prepared squash and let it cook to perfection. Once you can pierce with a fork a piece of squash, it’s ready to drain and mash. Boiling it to become this tender will take roughly 12 minutes.
How Long to Boil Butternut Squash Noodles
Making “noodles” or “spaghetti” out of butternut squash is a great idea, since they are a healthy alternative to pasta and lower in both calories and carbs. But how long does it take to boil butternut squash noodles? This partly depends how thick you make them.
| Angel hair (very fine) | 2-3 minutes |
| Spaghetti (medium) | 4-5 minutes |
| Thicker ‘noodles’ | 6-8 minutes |
Because there are variables, such as the exact size or thickness of your butternut squash pieces, the heat your stove reaches and the type of pan you choose, it’s best to test one piece of squash with a fork to see if it’s as tender as you like. If not, give it another minute, then check again.
Perhaps you’re wondering how long to boil gem squash or how long to boil yellow squash. After all, if you enjoy one kind of squash, you might like them all. Here are the approximate boiling times for those:
- Whole gem squash: 25 minutes
- Chopped gem squash: 10-12 minutes
- Whole yellow squash: 15-20 minutes
- Chopped yellow squash: 4-5 minutes
Bear in mind that older squashes can take longer to become tender. Now that you know how long to boil butternut squash and other varieties, you can boil squash to perfect tenderness and make all kinds of tasty meals with it.
