Season’s Eatings is a column dedicated to eating seasonally and includes recipes and tips that help you make the most of each season’s produce.
Text and photos by Liz of Carpé Season
Really, if you think about it, there’s very little in life that cheese won’t improve.
Bunch of broccoli? Cheesy gratins are where it’s at. Boring office party? You’ll find me at the cheese plate. Tortilla chips? Nachos. Winter squash? Let’s cheese it up.
After last month’s post about various types of winter squash, we sort of had a lot of squash to use up. My one-year-old was fascinated by my display of them on the dining room table, and quickly became obsessed with throwing these “balls” across the room every chance he got. So, I knew I needed to start cooking. I roasted. I souped. And then I casseroled. With cheese.
I had been craving lasagna…but again, the squash centerpiece had to go. So after roasting the squash, I started adding all things Italian to the mix. Canned tomatoes, basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, garlic, onion…and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan.
The result was something akin to lasagna…but with the creamy nuttiness of squash added to it. I loved the way that the Italian herbs and the saltiness of the cheese balanced out the natural sweetness of the squash. Plus, despite the several inches of melty, toasty cheese on top, I was able to tell myself that this was a healthy dish; I mean…it’s based around a vegetable, right?
This dish can be made with any kind of squash you might have laying (or being thrown) around. It pairs really well with a side of brussels sprouts – but really any of its cruciferous cousins will do (like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale). We also served it alongside toasty garlic bread to balance the texture of the casserole with some crunch.
So go ahead. Heat up your November house by roasting a squash and then baking it under a glorious layer of cheese!
Recipe by Carpé Season
This Italian squash bake can easily be prepared in stages. The squash can be roasted the day before, the filling mixed together and assembled well before baking, making for a quick dinner. Really, any winter squash can be used in this dish. I like to use one acorn squash plus another small squash as the acorn isn’t quite so sweet as most. This time I used acorn and butternut. Finally, this dish is excellent with some cooked, ground Italian sausage but is also fabulous when left out for a vegetarian meal!
Ingredients
- App. 3 lbs. of winter squash*, prepared as directed below
- ¼ c. olive oil
- salt & pepper (freshly ground sea salt & black pepper is best!)
- --
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- pinch dried rosemary
- ¼ tsp. salt
- pinch black pepper (or a few turns of freshly ground)
- one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped (if using frozen, thaw & drain first)
- 1 ½ c. Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 c. mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¼. c. fresh Italian parsley, chopped, (+ more for garnish)
- (optional: ½-pound ground Italian sausage, cooked & drained)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Wash and thoroughly dry exterior of squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds & pulpy bits. Brush all sides of the squash halves with the ¼ c. olive oil and then generously salt & pepper the cut side.
- Place squash, cut-side-down, on prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes; checking frequently after that point for doneness. Squash is done when it can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Allow to cool. Once cool, peel the squash and cut into a ¼-inch chunks.
- Heat the 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and onion; sauté for 3-4 minutes until onion begins to soften. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the basil, oregano, rosemary, salt, black pepper, canned tomatoes, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes, until most but not all of the liquid has evaporated.
- Preheat oven to 400*. Prepare a 3-qt. or larger baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, gently mix together the cut squash, onion/tomato mixture, 1 c. of the parmesan, a ½ c. of the mozzarella, and parsley (as well as cooked sausage if using). Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and a ½ c. of the parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until heated through and the cheesy top is melted, bubbly, and a little browned.
- Garnish with additional parsley.
