Making Baked Squash/ Baked Pumpkin
The recipe follows Ottolenghi's Crusted Pumpkin Wedges recipe, except that I use either an orange skinned squash or a butternut squash instead of a Pumpkin, and generally skip the sour cream in favour of fresh goats cheese. I also add a pinch of nutmeg and it goes well with the flavours of the Parmesan. Serve the baked squash slices with hot soup to round it off into a satisfying meal.
This is an easy recipe with two initial steps of slicing the squash and preparing the herb parmesan mix. You may use herbs as available to you. My little herb garden is doing well and I have fresh mint, parsley, rosemary, basil available to me most of the year, so I am able to take my pick. Dry herbs would do as well of course.
Take an evenly shaped Squash or Pumpkin, with a bright orange skin to give a colourful look to the dish.
Be generous with the lemon zest, it gives just that final flavour kick to the Baked squash.
There was a time when I disliked pumpkin (or squash) actively. That was before I discovered roasting or baking them. Now they are a part of my menu several times a week, in salads, soups or in tasty dinners like this one with baked squash and a hot soup like a tomato soup or my favourite broccoli cheddar soup.
Other Pumpkin Recipes:
Baked Squash crusted with Parmesan & Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash sliced into crescents
- 2 tbsps Breadcrumbs dry
- ¼ cup Parmesan grated
- 3 tablespoons parsley Fresh (minced)
- 2 tablespoons thyme Fresh (minced)
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dill or mint leaves minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C ( about 375 F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the same lightly.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, fresh and minced thyme and parsley, crushed garlic, nutmeg and half the lemon zest.
- Add salt sparingly and taste for salt, as the cheese is already salted. Add half the ground pepper and mix well. Spread the mixture on a plate so it is easy to apply on the sliced squash.
- Retain the peel and slice the Squash into half inch thick, crescent shaped slices. If the squash is evenly rounded, the slices will follow the natural shape and you can cut them out easily.
- Brush the slices of squash on both sides with olive oil and dip each side of each slice into the herbed breadcrumbs and cheese mixture. Let the mixture generously coat each side and gently press down for an even and thick coating.
- Arrange the herbed squash on the baking tray and place in the oven. Roast the squash for 30 minutes or until the slices have cooked through. Gently stick a fork into a slice to check that the squash is cooked well and is tender.
- Remove from the oven. and transfer the slices to a broad serving dish or plate. Sprinkle dill, salt and pepper to taste and lemon juice, as well as the reserved lemon zest, on the squash wedges, and serve hot.
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