Break out of your butternut squash rut and give kabocha (a.k.a. Japanese pumpkin) a try. It has a vibrant orange flesh and dense, velvety texture that works equally well in sweet or savory recipes. It’s typically available in grocery stores, but if you can’t find kabocha, a medium butternut will still do just fine.
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What you’ll need
Measuring Cups
$18 At Bon Appétit Market
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Chef's Knife
$61 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Spoon
$24.69 At Amazon
Medium Saucepan with Lid
$50 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$8 $7 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$29 At Amazon
Paper Towels
$13.45 At Amazon
Spatula
$13 At Amazon
2-Quart Baking Dish
$29 $17 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. Cut off stem end of kabocha squash and rest on cut side. Cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds and stringy innards with a spoon; discard. Using your knife, shave off tough peel and layer of light green flesh beneath. Cut squash into 1"-thick slices.
Step 2
Smash 5 garlic cloves with the side of the knife and remove peel.
Step 3
Combine squash, garlic, 3 rosemary sprigs, ½ cup heavy cream, and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan. Season generously with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer until squash is tender and easily mashes when pressed with the back of a spoon, 10–15 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, grasp stem end of each kale leaf. Starting at stem, slide your other hand along length of leaf to strip leaves. Repeat with entire bunch; discard stems. Tear leaves into 1"–2" pieces (you should have about 8 cups).
Step 5
Peel 2 shallots and thinly slice crosswise.
Step 6
Use the tip of your knife to prick 1 lb. sausage all over in several places.
Step 7
Crumble cornbread into coarse crumbs (you should have about 2 cups).
Step 8
When squash is tender, remove saucepan from heat. Uncover and pluck out rosemary sprigs, leaving leaves inside pot. Transfer entire mixture to a medium bowl (reserve saucepan) and mash with the back of a spoon until no distinct pieces of squash remain. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 9
Wipe out pot with paper towels and heat over medium. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and heat until melted. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add kale a couple of handfuls at a time, stirring to wilt between each batch, and cook until leaves are dark green and wilted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl with squash, then fold to incorporate.
Step 10
Heat 1 Tbsp. butter in same saucepan over medium and add sausage. Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides (they won’t be cooked through), about 6 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let cool for a few minutes (reserve saucepan again and do not pour out fat from sausages–you’re going to use it one more time).
Step 11
Meanwhile, using a rubber spatula, scrape squash and kale mixture into a shallow 2-qt. baking dish and smooth top.
Step 12
Cut sausages crosswise into 2" pieces and nestle into top of squash mixture, spacing evenly.
Step 13
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in same saucepan over medium and add cornbread crumbs. Cook, stirring, just until crumbs are evenly coated in fat. Scatter cornbread crumbs over squash mixture; season with more salt and pepper.
Step 14
Bake gratin until crumbs are toasty and brown and sausages are cooked through (you can insert an instant-read thermometer into center of sausage to check if registers 140°, or just cut into one with a knife), 20–25 minutes. Let cool 5–10 minutes before serving.
