With its beautiful golden flesh and edible skin, Delicata is poised to become the new ‘It’ squash. No matter how simply you prepare it, it is anything but dull.

Try this: cut it into chunks, boil in lightly salted water until just tender, toss with butter – and prepare to be amazed by the delightfully complex flavor (a cross between yam and Yukon Gold potato, with hints of sweet corn) and creamy texture.

It is equally delicious mashed, or pureed and made into a hearty soup, or sliced and fried as in the recipe below. You can use just about any type of Italian cheese (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, Ricotta Salata are all good) and sprinkle with finely minced fresh parsley instead of sage.

Special thanks to fellow food blogger Chick in the Kitchen for sparking the idea for this dish!

Here’s a photo of the Delicata Mezza Luna below.

Ingredients:

1 medium Delicata squash (about 1 lb)
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 large (or 2 small) bay leaf
Grated Italian cheese
1 Tbsp finely minced fresh sage leaves

PREPARATION:

Rinse squash well and slice about 1/2 inch off the ends. Using a heavy knife or cleaver, cut the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. (Note: when raw, the skin seems tough, but it softens nicely when cooked.) Lay the halves cut-side down and cut into approximately 3/8 inch slices.

Heat a shallow layer of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook the garlic until just golden, pressing it down to flavor the oil. Remove and discard the garlic and bay leaf.

Put a single layer of squash slices in the oil and cook until very lightly browned, turning once. Drain on paper towels and keep warm while cooking the remaining slices. Serve sprinkled with grated cheese and minced sage. Serves 2 - 4.

Enjoy!

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