Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place parchment paper or foil in baking pan that is large enough to hold both halves of the squash.
Scrub squash well with vegetable brush, cut in half, remove seeds. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on prepared baking pan, cut side up or cut side down.
Bake 35-60 minutes, depending on size of squash, or until fork tender (easily pierced with fork).
Cool slightly and carefully scrape cooked squash from skin with a large spoon. Place cooked squash into large bowl.
OVEN METHOD, cubed:
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. For a medium sized squash, I’d recommend 1-2 tablespoons oil, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Make sure all of the squash is coated with oil.
Place in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once, or until squash is golden brown and fork tender. Don’t overcook it or it will get mushy.
SLOW COOKER METHOD:
Scrub squash well with vegetable brush. Place whole squash into slow cooker. I recommend lining with foil for easy clean-up.
Cook on low for 4-8 hours on high, or until easily pierced with fork.
Remove from slow cooker, cool slightly, cut in half, discard seeds, and carefully scrape cooked squash from skin. Place cooked squash into bowl.
INSTANT POT/PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:
For all methods, place steamer basket in bottom of Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water.
For a whole squash, scrub squash well with vegetable brush. Place in steamer basket. Seal lid and set for high pressure for 30 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before carefully removing lid.
For a quartered squash, scrub squash well with vegetable brush. Cut into quarters and remove seeds. Place in steamer basket. Seal lid and set for high pressure for 10 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before carefully removing lid.
For squash cubes, scrub squash well with vegetable brush. Peel, remove seeds, and cut into cubes. Place in steamer basket. Seal lid and set for high pressure for 5 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before carefully removing lid.
Notes
Cook and prep times indicated in this recipe card are for method of preparation that involves baking the squash halves in the oven.
Refrigerate cooked squash for up to 4 days or freeze it in a freezer container or freezer bag for up to 4 months.