BBM (Butternut Squash, Boston Lettuce & Merguez)

By ltrodrigu

Rob Connoley's pairing of squash and merguez sausage strikes just the right balance of sweet and savory.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeds discarded
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Maresh pepper
• 2 roasted red peppers
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 merguez sausages
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and cut into long slivers
• 1 6-inch baguette, halved lengthwise
• a few leaves of Boston lettuce

Details

Adapted from online.wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place butternut squash cut-side up in a baking dish. Season with black pepper and Maresh pepper, cover with foil and bake until squash is so tender it's spoonable, 1 hour.

Meanwhile, Make Red Pepper Sauce:
Purée red peppers, olive oil, lime juice and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Brown merguez sausages in a skillet over medium-high heat, then cut lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Return to pan along with jalapeño pepper and fry until edges of sausage are brown and crisp, 3 minutes per side. Remove sausages and peppers from pan and set aside.

Place baguette cut-side down into pan, letting bread soak up some of sausage juices and oil. Toast bread in pan until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

Assemble Sandwiches:
Spread bottom halves of bread with red pepper sauce and top each with four tablespoons roasted squash, a few leaves of Boston lettuce, sausage slices and jalapeños. Top with remaining baguette halves.