Anna Jones’ squash recipes

Try butternut, onion or crown prince squash in these savoury pancakes and a salty-sour roast squash caponata

For the next few months, squash is king. In all shapes and sizes, it’s my most roasted veg in winter – and my kitchen sees a lot of roast vegetables. While butternut is a reliable friend, the pleasingly bright orange onion squash, with its skin so thin and soft that no peeling is ever needed (which makes it 100% better to cook), is my gourd of choice. The other is dusky crown prince, which I think has the best and most balanced flavour (read: not too sweet) of all the pumpkin patch.

Quick squash and ricotta pancakes (pictured above)

These are distinctly savoury, as I think squash should always be. Don’t make these pancakes for breakfast: they are lunch or dinner – brunch at a stretch.

Prep 15 min
Cook 10 min
Makes 8

200g roast squash, skin on
2 eggs, separated
175g ricotta
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 small handful fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley, chives, basil or coriander
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Zest of half a lemon
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 knob butter
Rocket, to serve

Remove and discard the skin from the roast squash and put the flesh in a large bowl. Lightly mash with a fork, then mix in the egg yolks, ricotta, flour, baking powder, herbs, spring onions, lemon zest, chilli and salt and pepper, until everything is combined but leaving a few chunks of squash.

In another bowl, and with a clean whisk, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then carefully fold them into the squash mix, until fully combined, but not overmixed.

Heat a little butter in a nonstick frying pan and, once hot, add a large spoonful of the mixture per pancake. Cook for one to two minutes on each side, until golden and fluffy. Serve with rocket and a herb oil, if you like.

Winter roast squash caponata

Caponata is a masterclass in balancing sweet, sour and salty. Though it’s most often made with aubergine, I much prefer this squash version.

Prep 20 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4

2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
1.1kg squash/pumpkin, peeled, halved, deseeded and roughly chopped into 2cm chunks
3 red onions, peeled and cut into quarters
4 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
50g black olives
3 tbsp capers
50g raisins
1 large handful fresh parsley, leaves picked

Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/gas 9. Put the tinned tomatoes in a large, high-sided baking tray, squishing them between your fingers as you do so, followed by the squash, onions, garlic, three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, three tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper.

Roast for 35 minutes, until everything is slightly charred, sticky and soft. Add the olives, capers and raisins, give everything a good mix, mashing slightly with a fork, and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Once ready, and while the mix is still piping hot, add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar, toss through the parsley and serve.