Chef Gigi Gaggero

You will absolutely fall in love with this umami-stuffed butternut squash so much that it just might persuade you to reconsider poultry this holiday season! Not only is it vegetarian, but it’s fancy! 

You’ll Need: 

1 cup fresh pecans, chopped

1- foot long butternut squash

1 Japanese eggplant about 8-10 inches in length

1 zucchini, about 10 inches in length

1 white onion, cleaned and roughly chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, divided

1 shallot, coarsely chopped

1/2 pound your favorite mushrooms, cleaned, coarsely chopped

2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup sundried tomato packed in oil, squeezed of excess oil

1 tablespoon good quality olive oil

1 bunch fresh thyme, divided

8 oz. unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 cup ricotta cheese 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 eggs

1/2 cup Japanese bread crumbs

1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine and divided

2 teaspoons ground poultry seasoning

salt and pepper

Here’s How:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325′ F Degrees. Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.

Step 2: Increase the oven temperature to 400′ F Degrees. Drizzle the baking sheet with good-quality olive oil. While the oven is heating up, carefully cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the interior, leaving about a 1/2″ border on all sides and creating a divot deep enough to fit the eggplant halves inside. Discard the stringy guts, reserving all the solid meat filling and the seeds for roasting. I use an ice cream scoop to do the job. 

Step 3: Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, scoop out the interior, and reserve it. Leave about a 1/4″ border on all sides and create a divot deep enough to fit the delicious filling inside, which will go inside the butternut squash. Follow me?

Step 4: Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the interior of the vegetable, leaving behind a fairly wide mote down the center to fit the remaining filling. Place squash halves cut side up on a prepared baking sheet. Using a fork, be sure to pierce the insides of squash and zucchini halves to release steam. Using a sharp knife, make shallow crosshatch marks inside the eggplant, being careful not to pierce through the skin. Season with salt and pepper butter and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, then set aside.

Step 5: In the bowl of your food processor, combine the garlic, shallot, onion, mushrooms, celery, squash, and eggplant filling. Working in batches, if needed, pulse the food processor until finely chopped but not to a paste. Add sundried tomatoes and pulse one final time.

Step 6: Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables from the processor, a few thyme sprigs, and the ground sage. Cook until the mixture begins to brown and almost all the moisture evaporates—about 5-8 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove the vegetable mixture from the heat to a large bowl and allow it to significantly cool. Remove the thyme sprigs and discard them. Crack in the eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, panko, and a small handful of chopped parsley, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. 

Step 7: Using an ice cream or portion control scoop, press about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture into each half of the butternut squash until the interior is fully coated. Press the combination into and up the sides using the back of the scoop or spoon, making room for the eggplant to fit. Sprinkle with the toasted pecans, add the eggplant cut side up, and repeat the filling process, including the pecans. Add the zucchini and repeat to fill with vegetable mixture; continue the nesting process with each halve until you have filled the whole butternut squash with all the vegetable halves layered with stuffing- just like your famous lasagna.

Step 8: Using kitchen twine, slip under one squash half and top with the second squash half so that the cut sides face each other. Now press together and tightly tie the twine around the squash to secure it for the oven. Brush the exterior of the stuffed butternut squash with melted butter and maple syrup, and then season again with salt and pepper. Wrap the squash tightly in aluminum foil and place it in the center of a low-sided baking dish to prevent it from rolling. Roast the squash until it is tender, about 90 minutes to 2 hours. 

Step 9: Remove the foil and let it rest for 10-20 minutes. Remove the twine and place the disc on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut it into a 1″ thick disc, transferring it to serving plates as you go. Spoon warm herbed or salted butter over the slices, garnish with more pecans, and serve with warm maple syrup.

Happy holiday!