Photos by Emily Caruso
Although pumpkin gets most of the attention every fall, we cannot forget about the butternut squash. Sure, maybe it’s not as flashy as the pumpkin. And you can’t really make jack-o-lanterns with them (well, maybe you could, but your kids would hate you). But butternut squash is a little bit easier to deal with when it comes to cooking. Butternut squash fries are the perfect side for a veggie burger and butternut squash soup? Amazing!
As I was going through our archives to decide which recipes to republish this December, I felt a little pang when I landed upon this one. The recipe was inspired by a sandwich I ordered at Sandwhich, one of my favorite restaurants in Chapel Hill — and earlier this fall, my husband and I moved from North Carolina back to the Chicago area, which means no more Sandwhich sandwiches! (If you’re the type who notices such things, this cross-country move is one of the reasons for the abbreviated posting schedule this month — we moved to a rental here while waiting for our house in Raleigh to sell; once it did, we bought a house here and it needs a lot of work before we move in. So yeah, there’s been a lot of craziness and change and big things happening lately.)
Even if we did have access to Sandwhich deliciousness here in Illinois, I haven’t seen this Roasted Butternut Squash Panini on the menu in a while, so having a recipe for it on hand is kind of vital. It’s really that good. There’s not that much to it — just some roasted butternut, fresh mozzarella, sage and a good sturdy bread — but when you put it all together, it’s pretty magical.
This December, we’re republishing updated recipes from Oh My Veggies’ first year. This post was originally published on October 18, 2011.
PrintRoasted Butternut Squash Panini
Roasted butternut squash makes a delicious (and different!) filling for panini.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + additional olive oil to brush on bread
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh sage, sliced into thin ribbons
- 1 (7 ounce) container fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced
- 8 thick slices hearty whole-wheat or sourdough bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Brush the butternut squash slices with olive oil and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 40-45 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown on edges, turning halfway through cooking time.
- Preheat panini press to medium-high heat.
- Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Divide the squash, mozzarella, and sage evenly onto the non-oiled sides of 4 bread slices. Top with remaining slices of bread and grill until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
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