Prep time: 40 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes | Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, minced or thinly sliced
1 fresno chili, minced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 (3-pound) butternut squash (6 pounds total)
Olive oil cooking spray
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for finishing
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs, lightly toasted*
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, to garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large nonstick sauté pan add the olive oil and heat over medium-low heat. Add the onions and allow to cook until caramelized and deeply golden, at least 20 and ideally 30-45 minutes to really bring out the gorgeous deep, golden brown color and maximum sweetness. Stir fairly frequently and deglaze the bottom of the pan with a little bit of water throughout the cooking process to prevent burning.

Once caramelized, add the fresno chili, garlic, sage, and onion powder and season with salt. Cook an additional minute until fragrant and remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly — there should be about 1 cup of this onion mixture.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Use just the necks of the squash; reserve the bottoms for another meal. Peel the necks of the butternut squash and cut in half lengthwise into a half moon shape. Thinly slice the necks carefully on a mandolin 1/8-inch thick. The goal is to have squash pieces with uniform shape and thickness — you should end up with about 9 cups of squash cut into thin half moons.

Lightly grease a 10-inch nonstick springform pan with olive oil cooking spray and wrap the bottom of the pan with foil or parchment paper. Begin to layer the half moon shaped pieces of squash into the bottom of the pan, starting from the outside ring and working your way inwards. Be sure to partially overlap the squash pieces — the resulting layer should look like a flower. Lightly spray with cooking spray and spoon a scant 2 tablespoons of the onion mixture over the squash. Sprinkle with a scant 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese. Season each layer with a little pinch of salt. Repeat this layering another 5 times for a total of 6 layers. Add one more layer of squash on top of the final layer of parmesan and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Cover the pan with foil, place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the squash is just tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife (it shouldn't be too soft because it continues to cook as it cools!). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes to help the cake set.

After cooling slightly, preheat the broiler. Carefully remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Place under the broiler and allow to broil for about 2 minutes, watching carefully, until cheese has melted and panko is deeply golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool again for 10 to 15 minutes to make it easier to slice, then garnish with parsley. Slice and enjoy!

*Toasting Panko Breadcrumbs: Toast panko in a 350F oven on a dry baking sheet to develop a little color before using, or toast in a sauté pan with a small pat of butter for extra buttery crunch.