Squash is tender within but tough near the skin?

[BAPyessir6]

I think I made an error this evening, and am unsure what to do next. I was going to make a butternut squash soup and was planning on halving my squash, removing the seeds, and roasting as I always do. But after receiving a call that my friend had gotten into a roll-over car accident (she's totally fine), I panicked and for some reason, before leaving, threw the squash into the oven whole at 350. I left to see her in the ER and came back 2 hours later to a squash that is soft inside, but almost. . .mealy near the skin? Or tough? Gritty? My question is, should I throw this tougher outer layer of butternut squash, (it's only on one side of the squash, maybe it was the side sitting on the roasting pan, I didn't check) or should I perhaps cook it longer? Will blending it into soup nullify this textural stiffness? Does anyone have any idea what happened here?

 

[Andy M.]

I suspect the outer layer of squash near the skin is a little dried out from its 2 hour stint in the oven. You can add it to the soup or not. You should not cook it any more.