Butternut Squash Tonnato with Parsley and Pistachios

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

A meatless riff on the classic Northern Italian vitello tonnato (veal in tuna sauce). The mayonnaise-based tuna-caper-anchovy sauce is the easy pantrystaple workhorse that every home cook needs: Used as intended, to dress cold roasted meats, its briny umami adds punch to an otherwise plainly cooked protein. But here, drizzled over deeply caramelized chunks of roasted squash, it accentuates the Butternut’s natural sweetness and transforms a simple roasted vegetable into a main-course-worthy dish. Best served at room temperature, this dish is a perfect winter weekend luncheon with a green salad and some crusty bread; chopped roasted pistachios and minced fresh parsley add a welcome crunch and pop of green at the finish. Use extra tonnato as a dip for crudité; to liven up leftover turkey or cold roast beef; dollop it onto jammy boiled egg; spread some on toasted sourdough and top with tinned sardines—the options are endless.

Serves 3–4 as a main course or 4–6 as a side dish

1 (2½-pound) Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2- to 3-inch triangle wedges
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3.4-ounce) can oil-packed tuna (go for the good stuff here, like Spanish Ortiz brand), not drained
3 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
juice and zest of ½ lemon
¼ cup mayonnaise (homemade or store bought)
¼ cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped
¼ cup minced Italian flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss the squash pieces liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet with as many pointy edges facing up as you can. Roast, using the convection setting if you have it and rotating the pan once during cooking, until deeply caramelized at the edges and squash is tender all the way through, about 40 minutes total. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the squash is cooking, combine the tuna, anchovies, capers, lemon juice and zest, mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a blender or the bowl of a food processor and process until a smooth sauce forms. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. (You will have extra sauce—reserve for another use!)

When the squash has thoroughly cooled, arrange on a serving platter and drizzle with tonnato sauce to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and pistachios and serve at room temperature.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2024 issue as part of a larger story on Butternut Squash.