Hasselback Honeynut Squash and Apples
Move over, butternut—there’s a new squash in town called honeynut. Though petite in size, this winter squash packs a lot of flavor. Here it’s cut Hasselback-style, with decorative slices on top, then roasted with Hasselback apples to create an impressive side that’s perfect for autumn meals. To round out the dish, we add browned butter for toastiness, a little honey for sweetness, walnuts for crunch and fresh cheese for creaminess. If you can’t find honeynut squash, swap in their larger cousin, butternut, cutting it into 8 pieces of roughly equal size before making the Hasselback cuts as described below. A soft sheep’s milk cheese can also be substituted for the goat cheese.
Ingredients:
- Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
- 4 honeynut squash (3 to 4 lb./1.5 to 2 kg total), peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 4 small Honeycrisp apples, cored
- 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) (3 oz./90 g) unsalted butter
- Flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) walnut pieces
- Honey for drizzling
- 3 oz. (90 g) soft goat cheese, crumbled
- 10 fried sage leaves (optional)
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 425°F (220°C). Brush a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish lightly with olive oil.
To Hasselback the squash and apples, using a sharp knife, cut each squash half crosswise into 1/8-inch (3-mm) slices, cutting only three-fourths of the way through so they stay intact. Repeat with the apples.
Artfully arrange the squash and apples in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, alternating the direction of the cuts. It’s okay to really pack in the squash and apples and overlap them slightly, as they will shrink a bit during roasting.
In a fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and foamy, about 4 minutes. Do not overbrown because the butter will continue to brown in the oven. Remove from the heat.
Spoon the butter over the squash and apples, carefully opening the cuts so the butter gets in between all the slices. Season with salt and pepper.
Set the fry pan with any remaining butter in it over medium heat and add the walnuts. Toss until lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt.
Roast until the squash and apples are tender and lightly charred and the butter is toasty and browned, about 40 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until the squash and apples turn a shade darker, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the squash and apples from the oven and drizzle lightly with honey. Top with the walnuts, cheese and fried sage leaves and sprinkle with more salt. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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