As a child, Chef Adam Sobel always found his family’s Southern Italian heritage represented during the holidays—particularly at the table. “My nonna would usually serve some type of a baked pasta or lasagna as a side dish on Thanksgiving, so flavors of tomato and mozzarella always found their way onto our plates,” he remembers. Now the co-owner of the coastal Italian-inspired Osteria Cal Mare in Los Angeles (along with his mentor, Michelin-starred restaurateur Michael Mina), Sobel draws from his culinary heritage—and his trips around Italy—for menu inspiration. And it was once such trip that led to this hearty holiday side dish.
“I made a trip to Campania in the fall and went to this little restaurant up in the hillside with an unbelievable garden full of autumn squash and gourds,” the chef recalls. “They served us a simple roasted pumpkin dish that was sliced thin like a gratin and covered with parmesan.” Taking cues from this, Sobel and his team have refined the dish for Osteria Cal Mare, and have taken the cheese layer a step further by adding smoked scamorza and rich Pomodoro sauce, along with a garlic crumble and toasted pumpkin seeds on top to add texture.
Chef Adam Sobel
In addition to being delicious, the dish is a natural fit for the Thanksgiving table. “Butternut squash is very versatile and can easily take the place of traditional sides like potato gratin, or sweet potatoes and candied yams, which can tend to be overwhelmingly sugary,” says Sobel. “Gourds like butternut squash and pumpkin have a bit of natural sweetness and pair really well with roast turkey and traditional sage seasonings.” It’s also a healthier option—since there’s no frying or layered breading—and a great vegetarian choice. But Sobel gives the dish the highest compliment when he says, “I have a feeling if my nonna had tried this baked squash parmigiana, it would have easily become a new tradition.”
Parmigiana di Zucca
by Osteria Cal Mare Chef & Owner Adam Sobel
Serves 6-8
1 medium butternut squash or pumpkin
2 cups parmigiano Reggiano, grated
2 cups scamorza (smoked mozzarella), grated
2 cups basic marinara (recipe below)
1 cup
Panko Bread Crumbs (or use day-old bread)
2 sticks of butter, softened
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp Pumpkin seeds\
Salt to taste
For the marinara: (or, for quicker preparations, use a jarred marinara; Sobel likes one from Bona Fortuna)
1 28-oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
½ small onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp Fresh basil, chopped
To make the marinara:
In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion begins to soften and garlic starts to slightly toast (but not brown), about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil and gently break them apart with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cover, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened and flavors have melded, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool and puree with a stick blender (or transfer to a blender.) Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
To assemble the squash:
Using a serrated knife, cut off the neck of the butternut squash (or cut the pumpkin in half) and scrape out any seeds. Peel the skin until you reveal the orange flesh underneath. Using a mandolin on the thinnest setting possible, slice the squash into thin sheets. Set aside.
*To make the streusel:* Whip together butter, garlic, sugar and pinch of salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Stir in breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a baking dish. Add a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce, using back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
Begin to shingle the shaved squash across the bottom, overlapping slightly. Season the squash lightly with salt and spread a couple spoonfuls of the sauce. Lightly sprinkle the cheeses over the sauce (be careful not to oversaturate with sauce; reserve a bit of sauce and cheese for the top at the end.) Repeat layers again with the squash, followed by another layer of sauce and cheese. It should resemble that of a gratin, versus stuffed layers of lasagna, so use your best judgement in distributing the cheeses and sauce evenly so that each layer has a bit of both. End final layer with just squash.
Cover pan with foil and bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and spoon remainder of sauce and a generous sprinkle of garlic streusel on top and bake 10 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes or more before cutting to serve.