Delicata Squash with Goat Cheese, Rosemary, and Roasted Garlic

A few weeks ago, a friend invited me to Misi, a Williamsburg Italian restaurant famed for their pasta. When we walked away from the meal, the one dish I couldn’t stop thinking about was the simplest thing we ordered—roast delicata squash with parmesan and breadcrumbs. Delicata squash is one of the few gourds with skin delicate enough to eat—hence the name. While I’d often seen the vegetable prepared in roast half-moons, it made so much more sense to me to leave the squash intact, creating a hollowed-out vessel in which to build flavor. Inspired by my meal at Misi, I began playing around with my own preparation. Adding a goat cheese and parmesan filling makes this dish feel even more decadent and is the perfect tangy compliment to the savory bread crumb topping and sweet squash. In the weeks since I developed this recipe, I’ve made it over and over again. This delicata squash has made for many an exciting weeknight meal, but I’m most looking forward to serving it to my family over the holidays.

Serves 6-12

·      1 head garlic

·      Olive oil

·      Salt

·      Freshly cracked black pepper

·      5 ounces Chevre goat cheese

·      6 small delicata squash

·      1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

·      1 ½ cups stale bread (approximately 6 slices or half a baguette)

·      3 tablespoons butter

·      1 ½ teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.     Cut ¼ inch off the top of the head of garlic, to reveal the cloves inside and leave the base intact. Place the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the cut top and sprinkle with salt. Wrap the head of garlic in the aluminum foil and place in the oven to roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3.     Place the goat cheese in a bowl and allow it to reach room temperature.

4.     Scrub the delicata squash to remove any dirt or residue. Trim both ends of each squash and cut in half length wise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds from each squash to create a smooth, hollowed out hull.

5.     Place the halved delicata squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Using your hands or a brush, coat the flesh and skin of each squash with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and lay the squash cut side down on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

6.     Remove the roasted garlic from the aluminum foil and allow to cool. While the garlic cools, add the freshly grated parmesan to the bowl of goat cheese. Mix until combined. Add 1-2 tablespoon warm water to achieve the consistency of frosting and season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

7.     Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves to remove the garlic from their skins and set aside.

8.     Add the stale bread to a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs are formed. Add ¼ cup of the roasted garlic and melted butter to the fresh breadcrumbs and pulse a few more times to combine. Add the freshly chopped rosemary and stir to combine.

9.     Once the delicata squash is beginning to get golden brown, remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Using tongs, carefully flip the squash over to reveal the hollowed-out flesh.

10.  Add a few spoonfuls of the goat cheese mixture to each squash half and top with the garlic rosemary breadcrumbs. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, and the goat cheese is bubbly. Serve warm.