CRUSTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 6:12AM 
I'm so late to the party of being drawn into the cookbook Plenty by Yotam Otteleghi. I sat in Barnes and Noble with a big stack of cookbooks to flip through and his book was so lovely in its brightness, simplicity and the thoughtfulness of bringing out the best of vegetables. I took a few dozen pictures with my phone of recipes that inspired me, and I plan to buy it after this crazy month is over and I have the time to cook from it. The chapters are divided by vegetable, and while the internet is not short on fall recipes at the moment, I was sure this recipe, as he has written for pumpkin, would be a great way to use some of the butternut squash I have at home. It's a why-haven't-I-done-this-before? kind of recipe - written with a short list of familiar ingredients, likely things you have on hand and out comes a tender squash with just the right crunch of breadcrumbs and parmesan. I typically make more than we can eat to have leftovers, but this is the kind of side you'd want to have fresh as the breadcrumbs get a bit soggy. I'm giving some measurements, but squash vary so much in size, just use it as a guideline and adjust as needed, each piece needs a nice, hearty coating.
We're heading to Hawaii with my family tomorrow for a sunny vacation, and we return to the last few weeks before the manuscript is due for our cookbook (crazyness!). I hope to pop in here for another post amongst all the editing of recipes, photo shoots etc., while both of us are keeping up with other work as well. But if it's quiet around here, it's for good reason. Forgive me. It's a good kind of crazy, I'm excited, feels like I'm in school again, except I'm writing about things I give a hoot about. See you on the other side!
CRUSTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Slighty adapted from Ottelenghi's Plenty
I didn't write down the recipe, all I had was an iphone picture and a vague memory, so this is my best shot. I believe the original may have had pine nuts in it, which would have been nice. My one regret is that I gave the breadcrumbs a few too many pulses in the processor and they were too fine, I will leave them coarser next time.
1 Butternut Squash (about 2 lbs.)
2 tsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Nutmeg
1/3 Cup Fresh Breadcrumbs / Panko
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Minced Garlic Clove
1 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Parsley
1/4 Cup Fresh Thyme Leaves
Salt and Pepper
Oven to 400
Peel the squash (vegetable peeler works great). Slice it in half length wise and discard the seeds. Cut into 1/4'' slices.
On a parchment lined baking tray, pile the squash, drizzle the olive oil and the nutmeg and toss everything to coat evenly. All should have a thin coat of oil, amount may vary based on size of the squash. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking tray. You may need to use two, too much overlap won't yield a crunchy crust.
In a food processor (or magic bullet) pulse together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, both herbs, a few pinches of salt and a lot of fresh black pepper.
Sprinkle the topping on the squash. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the tops are browned and the squash is cooked.
Reader Comments (100)
butternut squash is what i always imagine pumpkin to taste like...
Butternut squash is perfect for those of us on a diet to lower our cholesterol!! I tell myself that these are a great substitute for fries and my delusion continues ;)
http://www.thecholesterolscoop.com/diet-lower-cholesterol.php
While this was a gorgeous dish, I didn't think the effort proved to be worth the taste. Maybe more oil next time? Fewer bread crumbs? Maybe I'm just a purist and the olive oil, salt, and pepper suits me more. Regardless, thanks for posting such a gorgeous recipe.
I've never been a big fan of butternut squash. Acorn? Yes. Hubbard? Yes. Butternut? Meh. Until this one. Wacka-doo, wacka-doo, this one is brilliant, superb, delish, pick a superlative. BTW, I upped the amount of garlic by just a bit and found it easier to peel the little sucker AFTER I cut it into slices. Used a good sharp paring knife (mainly because my vegetable peeler barely peels). We have a winner here. This definitely will figure somehow into one or more of my holiday feeds. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
we made this two nights ago... love it!
you might not post this in "cheese" but in "SUPER TASTY ORIGINAL"
lovely! my momma made this recipe earlier in the week and it was delicious! cheers, to butternut squash!
You're killing me here with all this deliciousness!! I heart fall so badly! Favorite season hands down. Everything you're cooking lately is in my house. Sweetness.
This looks amazing! I have some squash leftover from my market shopping will deff... make this. A great vegeterian dish!
Love your photography. I just did a Ottolenghi cookathon with a fellow blogger. The caramelized garlic tart was amazing.
A beautiful dish - simple, sweet and delicious!
This was UNBELIEVABLE. I made it for a small dinner get-together last Friday and it was such a hit. I'd make it again in a heartbeat. And thanks for the mention of Ottolenghi's Plenty - I need to buy it ASAP!
What is it about those crescents of squash that make them so incredibly beautiful to look at? Gorgeous! This recipe looks like something I'd like to spend the evening with - especially since roasting will help heat up the house (added bonus!). Have fun in Hawaii - I swear, it's my dream vacation & I hope to go there one day soon.
Love your blog and so I've awarded you The Versatile Blogger Award! See your mention here:
http://passioneats.blogspot.com/2011/10/no-100.html
Congratulations!
I tried this last night using butternut squash and sweet potatoes. Didn't have fresh thyme but picked some sage from the garden instead and was fantastic. Great crunch from the panko! Thank you for the inspiration.
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This looks amazing - and the photos are beautiful too!
[...] super healthy, warming salad, complete with cranberry beans and perhaps a sprinkle of Parmesan. This recipe from Sprouted Kitchen provides another tasty alternative for roasting squash. And with homemade [...]
I have been adoring your recipes lately! Both the sweet potato recipe one down and this butternut squash have been absolutely perfect.
Just discovered your blog from a Danish magazine here in Copenhagen, it is fantastic! I look forward to following the inspiring dishes beautifully made by you and captured by your husband! Thank you!
I made this the other day, and it is to die for! Even my one year old liked it:)
I have never heard of the cookbook Plenty before. Have fun in Hawaii, I love that place.
I made this, minus the bread crumbs, and it was so delicious! Sara, you are so inventive and I thank you for the inspiration!
I love your blog...why do you post so painfully infrequently????
@Mary - believe me, I would love to post more frequently! I do have a job and am in the last few weeks of our book manuscript being due, so there is not a second I am not working. We're hoping to be back to our once a week, at the least, program by mid november! Hang tight!
oh, this looks delicious! just love squash :)
This looks amazing! I am going to adapt this to make it vegan- can't wait to try it!!
This looks amazing...I'm drooling right now....^*^
[...] the recipe. I pretty much followed it straight up, and like I said the only other thing I might change if when [...]
I love your blog and every single post:) Yummyyyyy:)
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this looks fantastic...just new here and saw your blog on miss umami girl, kind a curious and click the link..wow never thought of this appetizing recipe you have here. I will follow you now for now on.
[...] originally posted by sprouted kitchen [...]
These photos are amazing. I love the ones where one can see the fingers sprinkling the salt over the squash. Lovely! Planning to make this squash for dinner this weekend - so excited! Thank you!
[...] Made this tonight. If you make it, you will not regret it. Delicious. Share this:Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Butternut Squash, Cooking, Dinner, Sprouted Kitchen by Jessica. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
This looks amazing!!! I am so excited to try!!!
This looks so delicious! I love squash but never really buy butternut. It's definitely on my list for my next grocery trip now though.
[...] Sprouted Kitchen – Now like I said, I usually contribute desserts to the Thanksgiving feast however, when I saw this crusted butternut squash recipe I immediately decided it should be sitting along side the turkey and rolls. We usually have yams/sweet potatoes and they are truly sweet. coated in a layer of sugar and marshmallows. I’m thinking that this more savory option is a good one for all those who typically pass up the yams dish. Again – I made sure to pick up both a butternut squash and some Parmesan cheese. With luck this will a new favorite. [...]
FIrst of all, the pictures in this post are so engaging and filled with that gorgeous butternut flavor. Second, I really appreciate the honesty and realness of this recipe...I can relate to frantically jotting down ingredients on my iphone--hoping I got the flavors captured "on paper". Its great to see the honesty in the way you evaluated the recipe for next time.
[...] flavor and versatility, making them worthy of the extra attention. This recipe is one I found on Sprouted Kitchen. Originally it was made with butternut squash, but I find that butternut and kabocha squash are [...]
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Love this recipe so much, so simple yet I never would have thought to make this on my own. I just made a gluten-free version tonight with ground almonds instead of bread crumbs and it was delicious!! Thank you :-)
[...] this. or this. I can’t [...]
Wow. What a phenomenal idea! Butternut = possibly my favorite food in the world. Now taken to a whole new level of love :)
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[...] had to be done. I biked to Dolac, got a butternut squash, then hit the Web and ended up trying a really easy and tasty recipe of oven-baked squash. I got my second squash with the idea to experiment. I had seen a risotto where pumpkin was paired [...]
I didn't have any Parmesan so I decided to go a different direction with this... I crusted my red kuri squash with a mixture of sour dough and gingerbread crumbs with lemon zest, garlic and salt and pepper. IT WAS AMAZING!! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
This recipe is amazing! Maybe the best way to cook pumpkin. Enjoyed it with couscous and chicken. Flavors, flavors, flavors. Wow.
You have a unique way of preparing food i find it very lovely and inspirational,,, your squash looks yummy yummy and delicious...keep up the good work*_*