If I’m being perfectly honest, this dish came to be because I really just wanted to make a recipe named Squash-io e Pepe. So I did, and it’s delicious, and will absolutely be on my Thanksgiving menu this week. This is a play on the classic Roman Italian pasta dish Cacio e Pepe, which means cheese and pepper. My squash version doesn’t hold back on either of those, with a few new additions of garlic butter, crispy sage, and a splash of half and half to keep things extra decadent.

The squash is roasted until tender, basted with garlic butter, and topped with an obscene amount of fontina and parmesan cheese. It’s baked until bubbly, and gooey, and all things delightful. And don’t forget about the crispy sage garnish!

It’s also a great make ahead side dish-which you can prep all they way up until the squash bakes in the oven with the cheese. This will save you precious oven space while you’re cooking your Thanksgiving turkey, and you can finish baking the squash while your bird is resting and you’re in a scurry to finish the gravy. Because we’re always waiting on the gravy, aren’t we?

Happy Turkey Day!

Squash-io e Pepe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs winter squash, (I used acorn, but delicata or butternut would be great too)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper, approximately 30-40 grinds

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

10 large sage leaves

3 cloves garlic, grated

3/4 C fontina cheese, grated

3/4 C parmesan cheese, grated

1/3 C half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare squash by removing seeds and cutting into wedges or 1/4”-1/2” slices depending on which squash you’re using. I don’t bother peeling the squash because I’m lazy, but if you want to peel it first, please do. If you’re using delicata squash, the skin is edible!

Place the squash on a large, rimmed, baking sheet and season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat all the pieces evenly. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes depending on how thick your squash wedges/slices are. The squash should be soft and tender, with a knife removing easily from the flesh.

While the squash is roasting, melt butter in a large cast iron pan or oven proof skillet that is large enough to hold all of the squash. Add sage to the pan and fry over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, turning half way through. Keep an eye on the sage while it’s crisping, as you don’t want it to brown. Remove sage from the pan and set it on a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Add garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute to soften, stirring continuously to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove the pan from the heat and add your cooked squash into the pan. Baste the squash with the garlic butter making sure to coat each piece.

Top squash with cheeses and a few more grinds of pepper. Drizzle the half and half over the top, cover with foil, and bake for another 20 minutes until the cheese is melty, gooey, and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle sage leaves over the top. Serve while hot.