With its sweet, creamy, dark-orange flesh, butternut squash is one of the best and most versatile of all the fall squashes. But too often I find that recipes made with butternut squash are like a one-note song—all sweetness with no contrast. I think the secret to delicious butternut squash dishes is providing something tart or tangy to balance the sweet richness.

A little bit of a bold flavor can do the trick

When I cook with butternut squash, I always use one of these assertive ingredients to balance the sweetness:

• Orange or lemon juice (or zest)adds brightness and zing. A splash of vinegar helps, too.
• Tomatoes,which are both sweet and acidic, make a bridge for full-flavored squash dishes.
• Sharp cheeseslike Asiago, Parmesan, feta, and goat cheese lend a salty note and highlight the nutty side of squash’s flavor.
• Robust herbs,such as sage, rosemary, and thyme, work with the earthy qualities of the squash, yet still offer an assertive contrast to its sweet side, too.
• Bold spiceslike cumin, coriander, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, ginger, and curry have a natural affinity to squash, making the perfect bridge from earthy to intriguing.

Six ideas for cooking squash

Use a sturdy Y-shaped peeler to peel butternut squash. Whichever way you cook butternut squash, be sure it’s tender all the way through, but stop short of mushy.

• Sauté diced butternut squash in olive oil with minced garlicand plenty of salt and pepper. Add a little chopped sage and grated lemon zest at the end.
• Braise diced butternut squashon the stovetop in a little chicken stock, sautéed shallots, white wine, and butter.
• Bake a squash gratin.Slice raw butternut squash thinly, combine it with sliced potatoes, tomatoes, sautéed onions, and herbs for a delicious side.
• Roast chunky cubes of butternut squash with other fall vegetables—onions, turnips, carrots, shallots, and sweet potatoes—all tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add a splash of sherry vinegar toward the end of cooking, and garnish generously with minced fresh parsley.
• Roast small cubes of butternut squashtossed in a simple seasoning of olive oil, salt, and chopped rosemary.
• Toss leftover sautéed or roasted cubes of butternut squash with a tangy, citrus-spiked vinaigrettefor a satisfying and beautiful addition to a salad. Add a garnish of toasted nuts, dried cranberries or cherries, and some crumbled goat cheese or shavings of Parmesan.