When my older daughter, Sam, was a vegetarian, I learned to cook a lot of vegetable dishes. Creatively. With imagination. But vegetables not being my favorite food group, the growth of my vegetable dish repertoire was slow, and I had more misses than hits. This baked butter garlic squash was among the hits.
Thick slices of squash are drizzled with butter in which garlic had been browned, topped with panko and Parmesan, and baked. The garlicky butter seeps into the soft and creamy squash flesh during cooking as the panko browns and turns crisp. Talk about a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors!
Baked Butter Garlic Squash
This baked butter garlic squash can be served as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish.If serving as a side dish, allot one slice per person. If serving as a vegetarian main dish, allot two or more slices person.
Ingredients
- ½ squash (see notes after the recipe)
- salt
- pepper
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- ½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- parsley chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Scoop out the seeds of the squash and discard.
- Cut the squash into slices about half an inch thick.
- Brush or spray a baking dish with vegetable oil. Arrange the squash in the dish slightly overlapping one another. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- In a small pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
- In a bowl, whisk the Parmesan and panko together, drizzle in two tablespoons of the butter-garlic mixture and toss well to combine.
- Drizzle the remaining garlic butter over the squash slices.
- Spread the Parmesan-panko mixture over the squash slices.
- Bake at 375F for 30 to 40 minutes or just until the squash is cooked through.
- Take the baking dish out of the oven and pierce one slice with a fork to test. If you’re happy with the texture, it’s time for the next step.
- The Parmesan-panko that has fallen directly into the baking dish will be more brown than what’s on top of the squash slices at this point. Scoop them with a spoon and scatter on top of the squash slices.
- Turn up the oven temperature to 425F. Put the squash back into the oven and cook for another five to seven minutes.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
I understand that there are several varieties of squash in the northern hemisphere. I’m no botanist but, as far as I know, what we have in Asia is calabaza (Cucurbita moschata). According to Food.com, butternut squash may be substituted.
Updated from a recipe originally published in February 18, 2016 based on a recipe from Betty Crocker.
Updated from a recipe originally published in February 18, 2016 based on a recipe from Betty Crocker.
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