Name: Italian Roasted Butternut Squash Parmesan with Tomato
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1/2 small butternut squash (around 400g); 1 mozzarella; a few slices Scamorza (optional) *See Note 1; Fresh parmesan cheese; 1 small onion; 1 garlic clove; 1 can plum tomatoes; 1 sprig fresh basil; a few black olives (optional); 1 tsp sea salt; Black pepper; 1 tsp muscovado sugar (optional) *See Note 2; 1 tbsp olive oil

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Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.

This recipe for this Layered Italian Roasted Butternut Squash recipe came from my podcast guest, Lenka Salinger. Make sure you listen to her episode No Beaches In Berlin while you make her Italian Roasted Butternut Squash Parmesan with Tomato!

Three plates of Italian Roasted Butternut Squash Parmesan with Tomato on a wooden decorative tray surrounded by mini squashes

Lenka shared this elegant layered, sliced butternut squash dish with us. Think of it as a delicious squash recipe that is slightly sweeter, more colorful cousin to Eggplant Parmesan, but more colorful due to the beautiful colors from the squash which makes it the perfect dish for the autumnal time of year-- one that your entire family will have a hard time putting down.

I made three to photograph. After shooting around lunchtime, they went so quickly that I hurriedly assembled the rest of the cooked squash into additional stacks of squash, cheese, a rich tomato sauce full of olives, and topped with sesame seeds and fried sage. My oldest son wandered down into the kitchen where my husband and I were indulging in seconds. After that, the other two stacks disappeared just as quickly!

P.S. Check out a few of my other favorite side dishes: Tiropitas (Greek Cheese Triangle Pies) from my podcast guest Dilka, or Mirza Ghasemi (Persian Smoked Eggplant and Eggs Dip) from my podcast guest Haniyeh.

Lenka's Memories of Making Recipe

[This recipe] was one of the first recipes to publish on my blog, and I'm pretty sure it's the recipe I've made the most over the years. It's simple, but satisfying and also rather impressive to look at. It's the perfect dinner when friends come over. And not only I have cooked it a lot, but my mother has, and my brother, my cousin and I guess some strangers were delighted by it as well.

-Lenka Salinger

moody shot of woman peeling butternut squash

Ingredients & Substitutions

This recipe only uses simple ingredients and is a favorite way of mine to eat a lot of fresh veggies that taste amazing and are a joy to look at.

Butternut squash - around 400g or a small butternut squash
Mozzarella
Scamorza (optional) - this is a cow cheese from Southern Italy that has a mild flavor that is similar to mozzarella
Fresh Parmesan Cheese - such as Pecorino Romano
Onion
Garlic
Plum Tomatoes
Fresh Basil - you can also add other fresh herbs such as parsley for a topping
Back Olives (optional)
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Muscovado Sugar (optional) - this is to balance the acidity from the tomatoes
Olive Oil

woman slices butternut squash for layered dish

Variations on Recipe

Adding Panko Bread Crumbs

There are many different ways to make this dish, but a common addition in other recipes is to add panko breadcrumbs. This is a great way to add crunch without detracting from the other flavors of this simple side dish. All you will need to do is add the remaining cheese from the Parmesan in a small bowl to the bread crumb mixture, beat an egg, dip the squash slices in both then bake in the oven before assembling it into a tower.

Adding Spice

If you want to add a little heat for extra flavor, consider adding some red pepper flakes to your tomato mixture.

Instructions

Set the oven temperature to 375ºF / 190ºC.
Peel and cut the butternut squash from the upper and lower parts. Place squash slices as a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake in the oven.
Meanwhile, chop and cook the onion and garlic until transparent. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar. Crush the tomatoes with a spoon and add basil.
Simmer until it thickens.
Cut the cheese into slices.
Once the squash is cooked, put some tomato sauce on top.
Add a slice of each cheese, olive slices, and sprinkle freshly-grated parmesan cheese. Put another squash slice on top and repeat. Add the remaining parmesan on top of the stack.
Bake until the cheese is melted.

still life of squash, pumpkin, and candles

Summer Squash vs Winter Squash

Winter squash

Butternut squash, acorn squash, and pumpkins are all winter squashes
They have a sweet flavor with thick skin and dense flesh so you must peel the skin before eating it
Holds up well when baking or roasting
They are ready to harvest in late summer or early fall (September/October)

Summer squash

Such as yellow summer squash and zucchini
They have thin, delicate skin so you don't have to peel it before eating
The flowers are also edible, such as the yellow flowers from zucchini plants
They are ready to harvest in early summer to early fall (June/September)

source: Good Food

slices of butternut squash on a wooden cutting board next to a glass mason jar of fresh herbs

Equipment

Baking sheet OR sheet pan
Skillet
Baking dish (optional)

Storage

Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days
Can freeze for up to 3 months

Italian Roasted Butternut Squash Parmesan with Tomato

Lenka's Memories of Making Recipe

Ingredients & Substitutions