How to Recreate Drew Barrymore's Delicata Squash Gratin

"It’s delicious and cozy for the holidays, with woodsy sage, warm nutmeg, flavorful squash and delicate onion-cashew cream," says the talk show host, who cowrote the recipes in her new book Rebel Homemaker with chef Pilar Valdes.

Photo: Caitlin Bensel

"It's delicious and cozy for the holidays, with woodsy sage, warm nutmeg, flavorful squash and delicate onion-cashew cream," says talk show host Drew Barrymore.

The vegan gratin recipe uses cashew cream and delicata squash instead of the classic cheese and potato. Delicata was an easy choice for Barrymore because of its flavor and because it is one of the easier squashes to use. "It has a thin skin, which is fully edible (no need to peel!) so using it also cuts down on prep and cooking time," says the actress, who cowrote the recipes in her new book Rebel Homemaker with chef Pilar Valdes

"There will be quite a bit of sweetness that comes through—from the onions and the cashew cream— balanced against the bite of freshly ground black pepper and the smokiness of the sage," says Barrymore. "It's rich yet still very light."

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 cups raw cashews (about 1/2 lb.)
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white-miso paste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste, divided
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste, divided
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped sage
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons lightly chopped packed fresh thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 medium delicata squash (2 lbs. total), halved, seeded and cut crosswise into 1/2-in.-thick half-moons

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1Place cashews in a small bowl, and add just enough cool tap water to cover. Let soak, at least 1 hour at room temperature or up to 2 days in advance, covered, in refrigerator.
• Step 2Drain cashews and rinse. Process cashews, warm water, mustard, vinegar and miso paste in a blender until mixture is very smooth and creamy with no grainy bits remaining, scraping down sides of blender as needed, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Step 3Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and sage; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions are softened and beginning to turn golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in almond milk, thyme, nutmeg and ½ cup of the cashew cream until smooth.
• Step 4Lightly grease a 9-inch round broiler-safe cake pan or 2-quart oval casserole dish with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Working from the outside of pan in, place squash in the pan, lining up and arranging pieces in a circular fashion. Add additional squash pieces to fill any gaps. Sprinkle with remaining½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour cream sauce over squash, spreading with a small spatula to make sure that all pieces are covered.
• Step 5Bake gratin in preheated oven, rotating halfway through, until squash is tender and golden on edges and cream sauce is set, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Step 6For additional browning, turn oven to broil. Broil until top of gratin is browned and crisp, watching carefully, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve.

Tips

Make it ahead: Up to one day in advance, slice the squash and prepare the cashew cream, and chill them separately. Assemble and bake the gratin just before serving.