Stuffed Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2 med butternut squash
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for rubbing squash
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup dried porcini or other mushrooms
- 1 med onion, chopped
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- 10 ea fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 ea Zest of 1 lemon
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Peel and trim the squash; separate the long necks from the bulbous bases. Scoop out the seeds and reserve. Roughly dice the necks into pieces no bigger than ½ inch.
- Rub the hollowed-out bases inside and out with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stand them up on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast, flipping once until they are browned all over and you can easily pierce the flesh with the tip of a sharp knife, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, soak the porcini in 1 cup hot water until soft; remove and chop, reserving the liquid. Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 minutes. Add the chopped squash and the porcini, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the squash is browned, 8 to 12 minutes.
- Add the red wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, and let it bubble away until it almost disappears. Add the mushroom-soaking liquid (leave any sediment behind) and the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partly and cook, adding more liquid if the pan gets too dry, until the squash is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes; taste and adjust seasoning.
- Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate small skillet. When the oil is hot, add the squash seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the chopped sage, lemon zest, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss.
- When the squash bases are done, spoon the chopped squash mixture into the cavities (save the leftover stuffing or serve it on the side). Sprinkle with the squash seeds.