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Agrodolce Roasted Squash With Walnut Pesto
I have not been able to stop thinking about this dish since eating Missy Robbins’s version at her restaurant Lilia Ristorante.
It hits every note — roasted squash that is melting in some places and crispy in others; savory, garlicky cheesy pesto; and the sweet-tangy hit of agrodolce, a wondrous alchemy that happens when you cook vinegar and honey together low and slow. Two words: flavor explosion!
Get to Lilia asap, but make this in the meantime.
Agrodolce Roasted Squash With Walnut Pesto
Inspired by Lilia
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
Squash Agrodolce (yields 1/3 cup agrodolce sauce):
2 ½-pounds delicata squash, washed, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and cut into ½-inch thick half moons
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 fresno chili, minced and seeded for mild
2/3 cup red or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons currants, optional
Flaky sea salt, to serve
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Walnut Pesto (makes about 2/3 cup) :
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 cup parsley leaves, not packed
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano plus additional shaved to garnish
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
•Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and allow to toast for 5 to 7 minutes until nutty and fragrant smelling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
•Meanwhile make the agrodolce. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (be sure this saucepan is medium-sized, we want more surface area for the reduction). Combine the fresno chili, red wine vinegar, honey and currants, if using. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and allow to simmer and reduce for 15 to 20 minutes until reduced by almost a 1/3 and lightly syrupy in consistency when coated with the back of a spoon (this will thicken as it cools).
•While the agrodolce is cooling, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the squash in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and salt. Lay evenly out onto the baking sheet without overcrowding the pan and roast for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes of roasting, remove from oven, flip the squash and brush lightly with the agrodolce. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes until tender with nice caramelization from the agrodolce.
•Meanwhile, make the walnut pesto. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment add the walnut halves, garlic, lemon juice, basil and parsley. Pulse until finely chopped, then while the machine is slowly stream in the olive oil until combined and smooth. Add the cheese, season with salt and pulse to combine. We add the cheese at the end to make sure it doesn’t get clumpy during the process of making the pesto.
•Place the squash on a platter, drizzle with the remaining agrodolce and some of the walnut pesto. Garnish with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano, flaky sea salt and serve.
•Store the pesto in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap touching the surface of the pesto to prevent it from oxidizing for up to a week in the refrigerator.
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