Petite honeynut squash - a smaller, sweeter, smoother knockoff of butternut - whipped smooth, served up in its own shell, and topped off with buttery panko breadcrumbs. Can't beat the flavor OR the presentation!
Yield: 5
Ingredients
4eachhoneynut squashabout 2 pounds each
2tablespoonsolive oil
1/2 + 1/8teaspoonkosher saltdivided
1/3cupsour creamor vegan sour cream
3tablespoons minced chivesplus a few extra for garnish; can substitute minced scallions
1/4teaspoonground white peppercan substitute normal black pepper but there will be specks
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and set out a large rimmed baking sheet.
Half and seed your honeynut squash
Leaving as much of the squash as possible (very important so you have enough "boat" to stuff), lay squashes on their sides and with a sharp, heavy knife, carefully trim off the stem and the bottom ends.
Set the squash on its now-flat bottom end and cut the squash in half vertically.
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Discard seeds.
Roast honeynut squash halves
Place squash halves cut-side-up on your baking sheet. Brush the cut sides of the honeynut squash with olive oil and sprinkle the halves with a pinch of kosher salt. Flip them over so that they are now cut-side down.
Roast until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork but isn't too mushy, about 25 minutes.
Remove squash from the oven and let cool until it can be handled, about 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling & topping
Once the squash is cool enough to be handled, use a spoon to scoop out the insides of the squash, leaving about a 1/4 inch border of squash to help keep the shells sturdy. Set the shells upright to prepare for the filling.
Add the cooked squash to a bowl along with the sour cream, chives or scallions, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and white pepper. Combine well with a fork or, if you prefer a smoother filling, you can use a hand mixer. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. I use about 3/4 teaspoon salt in the filling but like to call for less in my recipes because tastes differ.
Spoon the filling into the shells. You will find that you don't have enough filling to fill all the shells. I usually end up with enough for about five, use my five prettiest shells, and discard the rest.
In a small bowl, mix the panko breadcrumbs with the melted butter and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Using a spoon or your clean hands, top the filled squash halves with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake again!
Return honeynut squash to the oven and bake for about 15 more minutes, until the filling is heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Garnish and serve
To serve, I like to arrange my squash on a platter with some herbs (like a few snipped sage leaves) or greens (such as arugula) tucked here and there. Garnish honeynut halves with additional chopped chives or scallions (something I forgot in my pics but recommend!)