Simple Provençal Winter Squash Gratin

I’ve offered a few winter squash gratin recipes over the years, but none as simple as this one. There’s little more than squash here, seasoned with lots of garlic and fresh herbs. Dicing all the squash takes time, but then the work is just about done. If you want to use a food processor, you can, but you can’t get even pieces that way. The recipe is based on one of my favorite recipes in Richard Olney’s book “Simple French Food.”

3 pounds winter squash (like 1 large butternut), peeled, seeds and membranes removed, cut in 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 3-quart baking or gratin dish with olive oil. Toss together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Combine well and turn into the baking dish. Place in the oven and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the squash is thoroughly tender and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.
Yield: 6 servings.

Advance preparation: You can get most of the busy work – the dicing of the squash – done a day before you assemble and bake this. If you need oven space for your turkey, make the gratin ahead and reheat in a medium oven until sizzling. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

Variation: If you don’t want this to taste quite as garlicky (it’s characteristically Provençal), instead of mincing the garlic and tossing with the squash, peel and crush the garlic cloves. Heat the oil and garlic together in a small skillet until the garlic is golden brown, then discard the garlic cloves and toss the oil with the other ingredients as directed.

Nutritional information per serving: 154 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 21 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 38 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 3 grams protein.

See all selected recipes from "Recipes for Health."