provencal winter squash gratin

another incredibly simple yet flavorful dish from deborah madison: provencal squash gratin. it's hard to go wrong with sweet winter squashes, in my opinion, and as long as they're thoroughly cooked i'm happy.

despite the fact that it's called a gratin this dish is not covered with either a mantle cheese or tiara of breadcrumbs. it is, however, cooked long and low, resulting in creamy and sweet cubes of squash that dissolve at the touch of the tongue. small cubes of butternut squash are tossed with five (yes, that FIVE) cloves of minced garlic, parsley and a bit of flour, salt and pepper, plus a bit of olive oil if you like (i skip this and give the topping a generous misting of pan spray), then cooked in a low oven for two hours. this slow cooking really brings out the sweetness of the squash and mutes the garlic a bit (although it is still quite assertive).

a perfect side dish for a rainy winter evening.

provencal winter squash gratin
2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash
5 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup parsley, minced
salt and pepper
3 Tablespoons flour
olive oil

peel and cut the squash into cubes 1/2 to 1 inch thick. toss with garlic, parsley salt and pepper. toss again with flour. place in a shallow, oiled baking dish and drizzle with a bit of olive oil or pan spray. bake uncovered at 325 for about two hours (until squash is meltingly tender).