Squash parmigiana

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Melt 25g of the butter. Cut the squash into small, chunky, 1cm thick slices and put into a shallow baking dish that measures about 23cm x 32cm. Pour over the melted butter, sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt, then toss together well. Arrange the slices in an even layer over the base of the dish. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is just tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
2. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan, add the garlic and as soon as it starts to sizzle, add the tinned tomatoes, passata and oregano. Simmer rapidly for 25 minutes, stirring regularly and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is thick but still slightly moist. Put the vinegar and sugar into a small pan and boil rapidly until reduced to 2 teaspoons’ worth. Stir into the tomato sauce and season well with salt and black pepper.
3. Remove the squash from the oven, uncover and pour away any excess liquid. Spoon over the tomato sauce. Put the cream into a small pan and simmer rapidly (watch it like a hawk so it doesn’t boil over) for 4-4½ minutes, stirring now and then, until it has reduced a little and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Take off the heat, stir in 50g of the grated parmesan, then season to taste.
4. Pour the parmesan cream in an even layer over the top of the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until richly golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.