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Winter Squash Wedges With Gorgonzola Butter and Hazelnuts

4.8

(5)

Wedges of charred winter squash on a bed of Gorgonzola butter topped with fresh herbs.

Life hasn’t been the same since Deborah Madison introduced me to Gorgonzola butter in her classic cookbook Vegetable Literacy. It’s a lovely condiment to jazz up any meat or vegetable dish, and it makes these winter squash wedges something special. Any winter squash variety will work—delicata, butternut, acorn, kabocha, etc.—and you don’t need to bother peeling it (unless you’re sensitive to the skin), because most squash varieties have edible skins that become quite tender once cooked. I like to smear a thin layer of the butter onto a plate and place the squash on top so that with each bite I get a little taste of the incredible cheesy, buttery spread.  

  

Localize it: You could sub in roasted carrots or roasted beets for the winter squash. Try using any local nut or seed in place of the hazelnuts. And a nice local blue cheese is a great substitute for the Gorgonzola.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

For the Gorgonzola butter:

1 clove of garlic, minced
Sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons Gorgonzola or any blue cheese

For the winter squash:

1½ pounds winter squash, cut into ½ -inch-thick wedges
2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter
Sea salt
Minced parsley for serving
2 tablespoons toasted and crushed hazelnuts
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Make the Gorgonzola butter:

    Step 1

    In a medium-sized bowl, pound the garlic and a hefty pinch of salt with the back of a spoon until a paste forms. Add the butter and cheese and mix until well incorporated. Set aside.

  2. Make the squash:

    Step 2

    Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush the squash wedges with a little melted butter. Add the squash to the skillet and cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes. Once the squash begins to brown up a bit, turn the wedges and continue to cook, turning them every few minutes, until they are tender, about 25 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.

    Step 3

    Spoon a thin layer of the Gorgonzola butter onto a platter and top it with the squash. Sprinkle with the minced parsley, hazelnuts, and freshly ground black pepper.

Image may contain: Human, Person, Plant, Food, Produce, and Sprout
From Local Dirt: Seasonal Recipes for Eating Close to Home © 2020 by Andrea Bemis. Reprinted with permission by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.
TagsDelicata SquashSquashVegetableButternut SquashAcorn SquashKabocha SquashGorgonzolaBlue CheeseCheeseDairyHazelnutNutSideStarterDinnerGluten FreeVegetarianQuickEasySearWinterCookbooks

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