Butternut Squash, Vegetable and White Bean Gratin
By Brenda Langton
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups leeks, cut in half and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 3 cups mushrooms (wild if available), sliced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 (15 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 tomatoes, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped herbs (any mixture of basil, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, mint, thyme or sage)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup roasted walnuts
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Peel the squash, remove the seeds and slice it into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch strips. Lightly brush the squash with a 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper and bake on a sheet pan until tender, about 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute the garlic, leeks and red bell pepper for 5 minutes. Scrape the saute into a bowl, and set it aside. Melt the butter in the pan and saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Salt them lightly and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, layer the ingredients in the following order: squash, mushrooms, white beans, leek and pepper mixture, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper, walnuts and cheese. Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake 10 minutes longer.
