I came home with this gorgeous green, bumpy squash and had no idea what to do with it. So I tried something new: I asked ChatGPT for a recipe. It suggested miso butter, and wow. Sweet, nutty squash with salty, savory miso? Yes, please.

My honest take

10/10, would make again. The edges caramelize, the inside goes soft and creamy, and the miso makes it taste way fancier than the effort it takes. I used just 1 teaspoon of maple syrup instead of a full tablespoon, and it was sweet enough. The squash brings plenty of sweetness on its own. One tip: eat it with rice. The miso’s saltiness builds up as you go, and rice balances it out perfectly.

Miso Butter Roasted Squash

Oven: 400°F · Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs squash, cut into thick wedges
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1½ tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• Black pepper, to taste
• A little neutral oil, for the first roast
• Toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions, to garnish

Instructions

1. Prep the squash. Wash it, carefully cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and cut it into 1 to 1½-inch wedges. Leave the skin on; you can peel it off when eating if it’s tough.
2. Make the miso butter. Whisk together the melted butter, miso, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and pepper.
3. First roast. Toss the wedges with a little neutral oil and roast at 400°F for 25–35 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4. Add the miso butter. Brush it generously over the wedges and roast another 10–15 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Adding it at the end keeps the miso and sugar from burning.
5. Finish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. A squeeze of lime is lovely too.

Tips to make it even better

• Taste before adding more sweetener. The original suggestion was a full tablespoon of maple syrup, but 1 teaspoon was plenty with my squash. If yours is less sweet, add more to taste.
• Brown the butter first. Cook it until it smells nutty and turns golden before whisking in the miso.
• Add chili crisp on top for a spicy crunch.
• Line your pan with foil. The miso butter caramelizes onto the pan (you can see mine!), so foil makes cleanup easy.

Where this recipe came from

I asked ChatGPT what to make with my squash, and this is what it came up with. I made it in my own kitchen and tested it myself. Have a squash and no plan? Give this one a try and tell me how it goes!