It’s that time of year when all those beautiful yet odd looking squashes appear; delicata, turban, acorn, butternut. They’ve always intrigued me, but to be quite honest I don’t really cook with them that often. Ok, just about never. Liz recently brought in a couple of servings of her amazing butternut casserole for Joyce and I to taste. Wow was it delicious!
Butternut Squash Casserole
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut in 1 inch cubes (3 cups)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. dried extra-wide egg noodles
4 Tbsp. butter
6 shallots, chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 8 oz. carton mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, snipped (4 Tbsp. dried)
l cup panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F. In bowl toss squash in oil; place in oiled 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes, unti lightly browned and tender, stirring twice.
2. Meanwhile, in Dutch oven cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; set aside. In same Dutch oven melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add shallots; cook and stir over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, until shallots are tender and butter just begins to brown. Stir in lemon juice.
3. Add noodles to shallot mixture. Stir in mascarpone, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper, and the browned butternut squash. Transfer to a greased 2-quart casserole dish.
4. In small saucepan melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, stir in bread crumbs, remaining Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Sprinkle on noodle mixture. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes, until crumbs are golden.
Serves 8
Jean
