Prevent your screen from going dark
Makes as little or as much as you like
Time 30 minutes
1. As you scoop out the seeds and their strand from the squash—whether they’re raw or roasted—capture them in a colander. Run tap water over the colander, blasting and rubbing the goo from the seeds as you work through the mixture with your hands. When the seeds are clean enough, transfer them to a clean towel and rub to dry a bit.
2. Get out a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold the seeds in a single layer and heat the oven to 350°F. Scatter the seeds into the pan. You can roast them dry; or drizzle and toss with a little oil (olive or neutral-tasting) and spread them out again. Roast until the seeds crisp and turn golden in places; start checking after 10 minutes and shake the pan to promote even roasting.
3. When the squash seeds are ready, sprinkle them with salt or other seasonings while they’re still hot. Then let them cool in the pan. To turn the seeds into dust, pulse the roasted and seasoned seeds in a clean coffee mill or spice grinder. Store seeds or dust in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few weeks.
— Recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything, Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition