butternut squash panzanella is a delicious twist on a classic salad!
Butternut squash panzanella was new to me. I’d always thought of this dish as basically a riff on a caprese salad. So think mozzarella, tomatoes and basil tossed with vinaigrette and those toasted bread cubes.
This was how I thought of panzanella for years, and as such considered it a “summertime” recipe. I’ve since learned that there are many variations on this dish – my latest being the lovely version you see here!
This salad starts – as always – with toasted bread cubes, but is then tossed with roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts. Fresh thyme, sage and parsley add bright color and flavor, and a bit of pickled red onion provides snap.
And speaking of toasted bread cubes – these are always something that I have in my freezer. Whenever I have leftover bread I cube it up, freeze the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and store them in a ziploc bag. I simply add to the bag whenever I have more, and this ensures plenty of toasty cubes for panzanella, as well as croutons for salads and soups.
This recipe also deploys one of my fave cooking tips: when you are using onion – red or white – raw in a recipe, soak it in vinegar for about 15 minutes. This take the “bite” out of the onion when using in salads.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan, divided
6 cups cubed bread
salt and pepper
small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 cups cubed butternut squash
8 ounces Brussels sprouts, quartered
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1/2 cup parsley leaves
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a plastic bag toss the olive oil, garlic, thyme, half the parmesan and the bread cubes. Season with salt and pepper and bake, stirring once or twice till crisp on the outside and soft on the inside (10-15 minutes). Let cool.
Place the onion and vinegar in your salad bowl, along with a pinch of salt – toss to coat and let sit for 15 minutes.
Toss the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil, sage and salt and pepper. Roast for 15 – 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil into the onion/vinegar mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add the squash and sprouts, bread cubes and parsley and toss. Garnish with remaining parmesan and serve.
This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2021/03/09/butternut-squash-panzanella/
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