Delicata Squash and Roasted Mushrooms with Thyme: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Serves6 (as part of main course)

Active Time:25 min
Start to Finish:1 hr

November 2004

Of all the rich and succulent winter squash varieties, delicata, with its long and uniformly narrow shape, is the easiest to work with. And its thin, pale-golden skin with green striations is more than just pretty—it's edible, too. This recipe is an accompaniment to the Broiled Polenta Sticks.

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 lb delicata squash (3 medium), halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices
2 lb mixed fresh mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake, and oyster, trimmed (stems discarded if using shiitakes) and halved (quartered if large)

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Stir together oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons thyme oil in a shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and arrange in 1 layer. Toss mushrooms with remaining 1/4 cup thyme oil in another shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and arrange in 1 layer. Roast squash and mushrooms, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until vegetables are tender and liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cooks' note: Squash can be sliced 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag.

Recipe by Melissa Roberts

Photograph by Andrea Fazzari