What Is Yellow crookneck squash and How Can I Use It?
If yellow crookneck squash has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 9 recipes to try it in.
Key Points
- The bent, bumpy-necked form of yellow summer squash; mild, watery flesh, thin edible skin.
- Cooks identically to other summer squash; see yellow summer squash for full handling.
- Choose small ones; large, hard-skinned crooknecks turn pithy with tough seeds.
What is yellow crookneck squash?
Yellow crookneck squash is a yellow summer squash with a curved, often bumpy neck flaring out to a wider base. It is the old-fashioned bent-neck cousin of the smooth straightneck, and the two are the same vegetable for cooking purposes.
The flesh is pale and mild and watery, with thin edible skin you do not peel. Pick small ones, six to eight inches long. The bumps on the neck are normal and harmless, but a large, deep-yellow, hard-skinned crookneck has tough seeds and pithy flesh and should be left behind.
Cooking and Handling
Treat it exactly like any yellow summer squash. See yellow summer squash for the full rundown on salting and hot, uncrowded cooking.
The short version is that it throws off a lot of water, so cook it hot and uncrowded or salt and drain it first, and pull it while the pieces still hold their shape.
It works pureed too. Its soft flesh blends smooth, as in Puree of Yellow Squash Soup and Chilled Summer Squash Soup with Fresh Herbs, where watery flesh is an asset rather than a problem.
Zucchini, yellow summer squash, and pattypan squash all swap in one for one.
Quick facts
Where to find yellow crookneck squash: Yellow crookneck squash is usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
- In Chinese
- 黄crookneck南瓜
- British (UK) term
- Yellow crookneck squash
- en français
- jaune courge à cou tors
- en español
- amarillo calabaza crookneck
Recipes using yellow crookneck squash
There are 9 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Puree of Yellow Squash Soup
Pureed yellow crookneck squash soup with thyme, sage, basil, and a splash of white wine, finished with milk and topped with sautéed red bell pepper strips and pumpkin seeds.
Squash & Two Potatoes with Chicken on Pasta with Passion
Stir-fry chicken with yellow squash, yam, and red potato tosses over angel hair pasta in a zippy orange-juice-and-hot-sauce glaze. Quick one-wok dinner with peanut crunch.
J'Ande's Salmon En Papillote
Salmon en papillote steamed in parchment with seared zucchini, crookneck squash, onion, merlot, lemon butter, and Grand Marnier. A 7-minute oven finish for restaurant-style presentation.
Grilled Fish Salad on Bruschetta
Grilled fish salad bruschetta piled onto garlic-rubbed Italian bread with charred zucchini, eggplant, peppers and a lemon-basil fish flake topping. Summer entertaining at its most relaxed.
Superfast Vegetarian Pizza
A veggie-loaded pizza ready in 30 minutes with sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, sun-dried tomatoes, and two cheeses on a crispy prebaked crust. Quick, colorful, and seriously satisfying for meatless nights.
Italian Brochettes with Angel Hair Pasta
Italian vegetable brochettes with angel hair pasta: grilled eggplant, zucchini, fennel, bell peppers, and mushrooms over thyme-smoked coals, tossed with pasta in a tomato-thyme marinade sauce. Vegan, oil-free.
Tecolote Squash
Creamy Southwestern yellow squash simmered with corn, tomatoes, green chiles, and cumin, finished with cream cheese and a kick of Tabasco. A hearty, spiced vegetable side dish that's on the table in 45 minutes.
Grilled Summer Squash
Grilled summer squash halves brushed with lemon, rosemary, and margarine, then charred over medium-hot coals until tender. A low-calorie, diabetic-friendly side for any cookout.
Chilled Summer Squash Soup with Fresh Herbs
Chilled summer squash soup with fresh herbs: a silky cold soup of zucchini, crookneck, and pattypan squash pureed with basil, parsley, and buttermilk. A summer lunch or starter for six.
