Wood Blewit and Spaghetti Squash Gratin

This layered mushroom gratin is a take-off on pasta alfredo, but tastier and certainly more healthful. The squash is the base layer, followed by a tomato layer and then topped with a ricotta custard and thick slices of roasted Blewit. Consider purchasing whole milk ricotta for this dish for even richer flavor.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Roast the Squash and Wood Blewits: Wack the squash across the middle with a cleaver and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves cut-side down on a greased cookie sheet and bake until tender, about 50-60 minutes. Meanwhile, stem the Wood Blewits and thickly slice the caps. Brush them with olive oil, lay them out on a cookie sheet and roast until their edges brown, about 20 minutes (you can use any mushroom, but it's a nice way to use Wood Blewits or Bleu Foots if you only have a few). Set aside when done. When the squash is tender, remove from oven and let it cool a bit before scooping out and separating its stringy flesh with a fork. Season with butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

Tomato Sauce (2 c.): I used a homemade sauce with roasted vegetables, but you can use whatever sauce you like. A chunky sauce with texture works nicely. All you need is a few cups of sauce to cover the squash once it is spread out on the bottom of the gratin pan.

Ricotta Custard:
1 c. ricotta cheese
1 c. milk
¼ c. grated Asiago or other hard cheese
2 eggs
¼ heaping tsp. salt and pepper

Whisk all items together to form custard mixture.

Gratin Assembly:
Butter gratin pan (I simply used a 2 qt. casserole dish). Lay down a layer of squash, spoon the tomato sauce over it, and then pour the ricotta custard over the top. Place the Wood Blewit (or Bleu Foot) slices in a decorative fashion on top, and bake at 350°F. for 40-60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Enjoy!