Winter Squash Gratin
I picked up our mystery CSA box from a local farm this week and discovered that what I thought was an odd butternut squash was actually rugosa winter squash. They are related, and it turns out the rugosa is the heirloom butternut of Italy. It's a bit larger with ribs on the outside, has a smaller seed cavity, and more of a savory and chestnut flavor to it. I was in the mood for something warm and comforting, and decided it would make a great gratin. I was only surprised by how successful the gratin was, so I had to share! The sage really tied this gratin together and added another level of complexity.
Ingredients
one 2-3 pound winter squash, preferably rugosa or butternut
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter cut up in small chunks
fresh sage leaves
6 oz Gruyere or other rich cheese
3 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs (optional)
Parmigiano-Reggiano to top
salt/pepper
Cut the squash in half vertically, clean the center by removing the seeds (and saving if you’d like to make roasted pumpkin seeds). Cut it in thin (1/8 - 1/4 of an inch) slices that create crescent moon shapes when you get to the center.
Butter your baking dish and then begin placing the squash in, slightly overlapping each piece. Once you have one layer, pour some of the cream over, sprinkle with Gruyere and sage leaves. Continue layering until you've used up all of your squash repeating the cheese/sage leaves steps in between each layer. Add salt and pepper to taste in each layer.
Once you're done layering, distribute the rest of the cream over the gratin and top with the remaining gruyere, butter, the bread crumbs, and some Parmigiano-Reggiano to brown while it's in the oven. Don't worry, the cream won't cover the squash, but it will soften while cooking and become delicious and rich. Serve warm!
