| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup purchased basil pesto
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside. Fill a large pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Set a steamer rack in the pot, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the squash and steam over medium heat until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Season the squash to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon half of the squash evenly over the prepared baking dish. Dollop half of the pesto all over the squash in the dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the squash. Repeat layering with the remaining squash, pesto, and cheese. Using a skewer, swirl the pesto decoratively into the squash. Dot the top with butter and bake until the gratin is heated through and golden brown around the edges, about 40 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 208 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 19 mg |
| Sodium | 595 mg |
Reviews
I would have never thought pesto and butternut squash go well together. They actually do, and it is unique. I reduced the amount of pesto as it seemed to be a bit too much. While baking, the oil from pesto came out and kind of seared the bottom of the squash. It made a nice Christmas dinner side dish this year!
This is my favorite fall veggie dish. Better than mash potatoes, beautiful color on the table and gets rave reviews from everyone who eats it. Also, you can assemble it ahead of time and store in the fridge till ready to bake.
Love, love, love. Rich, delicious, and simple, this is a crowd pleaser and we’ll be making it all season long.
This was an easy and fairly low calorie (167 per serving way to use butternut squash. I made homemade basil pesto with sesame seeds because my son is allergic to tree nuts. I served this with smoked pork shoulder. My family loved it! I will definitely make this again!
This was excellent. Loved the different flavors together. Didn’t change a thing.
I love all things squash. This is a fun, easy dish to make and tastes great. (But I could see the recipes being a bit too much work if you’re not a squash fan…)
I loved this! I did change it up a little to suit my tastes. 🙂 I don’t like creamy squash, so I didn’t puree. I do however, like crispy “home-potatoes”. I chopped the squash as she said and then baked it with a little salt, pepper and olive oil at 400 for about 30-45 mins, until brown around the edges.
Then I removed and put in the baking dish, tossed the squash with about a cup of pesto and then topped it with about a cup of grated parm cheese. I let that bake at 350 for about 20 mins.
Maybe not the recipe but it was the inspiration. 🙂 If you are a fan of home potatoes, give this a try!SO DELICIOUS!
Then I removed and put in the baking dish, tossed the squash with about a cup of pesto and then topped it with about a cup of grated parm cheese. I let that bake at 350 for about 20 mins.
Maybe not the recipe but it was the inspiration. 🙂 If you are a fan of home potatoes, give this a try!SO DELICIOUS!
When I want squash in a form that LOTS of people will enjoy I go to this recipe again and again. I have been using it for years and love it every time!
I am putting together a very special supper for the Rector of our church and his board of directors and needed to find a recipe that might enhance a chicken lasagna florentine and this is perfect for one of two vegetables for that evening. I agree with the person who said to not go overboard on the pesto..a light touch on the layer is best , putting an emphasis on the grated parmesan. The wonderful flavor of the squash would be masked with too much pesto. A beautiful and special dish…I tried it tonight to make sure it was what I was looking for! Im excited to include it on the menu for that evening at our church for clergy!
I recently made this recipe and thought it was very tasty. I am not always a fan of Giada’s recipes because they are sometimes lacking flavor but this one was a keeper!