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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Buttery Hazelnut and Winter Squash Tian

6 to 8 Servings

1¾ hours 35 minutes active

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This winter squash side comes together easily. It takes its name from a classic French Provençal dish of vegetables baked in a shallow, round earthenware vessel called a tian. Either a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or an 8-inch square baking dish works fine. The awkward shape and density of butternut squash makes it a challenge to prep. An easy, safe approach is to use a sharp, sturdy chef’s knife to trim off the ends, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Use the knife to cut the squash crosswise, separating the neck from the bulbous base, then halve each piece lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds from the bulb portions. Finally, with the flat side on the cutting board, slice each quarter. To prep ahead, remove the tian from the oven after the final 20 to 25 minutes of uncovered baking and hold off on adding the butter-hazelnut mixture; it will keep uncovered at room temperature for up to three hours. When ready to serve, remelt the butter-hazelnut mixture, spoon on top and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes.

6 to 8

Servings

Tip

Don’t worry if the squash slices aren’t exactly half-moon shaped, but do aim for slices no thicker than ¼ inch thick so the tian is evenly tender throughout. Make sure to place the slices with the rounded sides facing up and tightly packed into the pie plate or baking dish, but don’t obsess about neat or perfect placement.

1¾ hours

35 minutes active

Ingredients

  • 1

    tablespoon salted butter, room temperature, plus 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

  • 1

    2- to 2½-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half-moons

Directions

Reviews
Lynda B.
November 26, 2025
Lynda B
I didn’t have every thing in my kitchen so I substituted red wine vinegar and pecans and it was the best butternut squash I have ever had & the family loved it.
Jennifer R.
November 20, 2024
Love this!
Was looking for a new way to serve squash for Thanksgiving— this recipe is super easy. Even my squash ambivalent members of the family loved my test!
Sharon C.
October 29, 2024
A new thanksgiving side!
Easy recipe with great results! It was more peppery-hot than I assumed it would be so I'll dial it down to 1/2 tsp of Aleppo pepper in the future. I also will use a tablespoon less of butter as its hard for me to reconcile turning a healthy vegetable into a much less healthy vegetable with so much butter. I think my mandolin slices were more like 1/8” so it cooked faster. Will adjust next time which will be thanksgiving. It takes a lot to make our vegetarian Thanksgiving menu and this recipe easily nudged out roasted yams and any thoughts of roasted carrots!
Felecia G.
December 8, 2024
Delicious and Simple
Made this recently for family dinner and it was a favorite. Easy and beautiful.
Rebecca N.
December 2, 2024
Delicious Thanksgiving Side
Made this for both sides of the family's Thanksgiving dinners. Easy. Different. Delicious. Our 1 year old approves too! He gobbles this before anything else on his plate!

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