Butternut Squash Gratin

Hiding inside a butternut squash’s skin is dense, mildly sweet orange flesh that’s an excellent source of disease-battling beta carotene. Butternut squash gratin is a tasty way to enjoy this healthy vegetable. A big butternut can be a bit tricky to cut up; you’ll do best with a large, sturdy chef’s knife.

Ingredients 1 butternut squash, about 1 kg, halved crosswise, then lengthwise, seeded and peeled
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 1⁄2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 1⁄4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Quarter the butternut squash pieces lengthwise and then cut each piece crosswise into 1 cm thick chunks. Combine the squash, onion, corn and oil in a large bowl, tossing to coat.
Arrange the vegetables in a 30 x 20 cm (13 x 9 in.) baking dish. Bake until the butternut squash is tender, about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the vegetables and bake until melted and golden, about 5 minutes.

Butternut squash gratin variations: For an unusual pasta dish, prepare and bake the vegetables as in steps 1 and 2 above. Chop the vegetables and stir into them a good-quality bottled tomato pasta sauce. Toss the sauce with hot cooked pasta.

preparation time 15 mins
cooking time 45 mins
serves 4

Nutritional information

PER SERVING

219 calories
10 g protein
6 g total fat
3 g saturated fat
7 mg cholesterol
30 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
5 g fibre
112 mg sodium

Both butternut squash and corn contain soluble fibre, which may help reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by blocking its absorption into the body.

Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada