Here Is the Advice: Roast Longer or Don’t Roast
Previously, the only way I cooked opo squash (aka Chinese long squash) was to throw it in a soup. However, I decided to look for a recipe recently and found one for roasting. After trying this new method twice, I think opo squash would taste better when most of the liquid is extracted from it or it’s used in a wet dish.
Below are some links to more details, including photos:
My Story
Earlier this month, I saw some opo squash on sale for $.99 per pound, so I grabbed some. Since I didn’t have all the ingredients for the soup that I normally added this vegetable to, I searched for a new recipe instead.
Inspiring Recipe
The recipe that I found was Roasted Opo Squash from a website, Melanie Cooks. It even included instructions and photos on how to peel and cut this vegetable!
First Try
After purchasing the squash, all I needed to add were two more items? I was intrigued!
Ingredients to Use
Since I had two opo squash, I simply doubled the default recipe.
Steps to Prepare
For the instructions, I made a couple of tweaks.
At the beginning, I replaced the parchment paper with foil because I didn’t have the former.
At the end, I added an extra 10 minutes to the baking time, bringing it to a total of 35 minutes. Though the pieces weren’t golden brown yet, I stopped cooking them since they were already tender.
Time to Eat
Because I never cooked opo squash with only two additional ingredients, I expected the flavor to come mostly from the vegetable itself.
Recipe Rating
Below were the results of the recipe after the first try:
| Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3️⃣ | 🤏 | 💰 | 🙂 |
The squash smelled good from the cinnamon, but tasted of watery squash. Maybe I should’ve kept the pan in the oven longer?
Second Try
For the second attempt, my goal was to add more flavor and golden color to the dish.
Ingredients to Use
Since I wanted to experiment with a smaller batch this time, I just used the measurements from the default recipe. In addition, I added salt.
Steps to Prepare
When it came to the process, I kept it the same as my first try.
Time to Eat
After adding the extra 10 minutes to the roasting time for less squash, I was curious if the texture would improve.
Recipe Rating
Below are the results of the recipe from the second attempt:
| Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4️⃣ | 🤏 | 💰 | 🤔 |
The opo squash definitely tasted better with the addition of salt. Also, increasing the roasting time was the right idea because the squash was drier. However, I’ll continue to use this vegetable in wet dishes to take advantage of its natural juices.
If I were to give this recipe a try again, I would do the following:
Continuous Improvement
- Double the roasting time.
After roasting different amounts of opo squash, I realized the following that I would like to share with my dumber self:
Lesson for Dumber Self
- Doubling the default recipe may require doubling the roasting time.
What will you do now?
Next Step for You
- Try the recipe, Roasted Opo Squash, from a website, Melanie Cooks?
- Learn more about opo squash? (What is Opo Squash + How to Cook It (6 Methods), a post from the blog, Yummy Addiction, is a good place to start.)
- Read another post on this site? (Go to the menu at the top of the page.)