Baked Summer Squash

Yellow summer squash has a short season and a tendency to pile up faster than you can use it. This is one of the better ways to work through it. Halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out, and filled with a simple ricotta mixture, each squash half becomes its own self-contained side dish that bakes in 15-20 minutes.

The filling is ricotta with chopped scallions, parsley, rubbed sage, and thyme. The herbs do most of the work. Sage and thyme together give the mild ricotta a savory backbone, and the scallions add a fresh bite that keeps the filling from tasting flat.

Rubbed sage is the specific form called for here. It’s drier and more concentrated than fresh sage, which means its flavor is more assertive at the same volume. Don’t substitute crumbled dried sage, which can be coarser and more bitter.

Serve these straight from the oven. Summer squash is thin-walled and cools quickly, and the ricotta filling loses its just-baked lightness once it sits.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t over-scoop: Remove the seeds but leave as much squash flesh as possible to give the filling something to rest in.
• Drain ricotta if watery: Some ricotta has excess moisture. A watery filling makes the squash collapse. Blot with a paper towel if needed.
• Check at 15 minutes: Thin squash bakes faster than thicker specimens. A fork should pierce the flesh easily when done.
• Rubbed sage, not ground: Ground sage is more intense and harder to control. Rubbed sage distributes more evenly through the filling.

Variations

• Add Parmesan: Stir 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan into the ricotta filling for a saltier, richer result with a slight crust on top.
• Zucchini works identically: This recipe works equally well with zucchini when yellow squash isn’t available.