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Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash (No Oil)

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Here’s a REALLY delicious way to prepare acorn squash. You could use this same method for preparing any fall/winter squash such as pumpkin or butternut squash. It’s about as easy as you could make any recipe and can be altered to make it your preferred way. There is a video demonstration below of how to make the dish, with the written recipe following that.

Enjoy!
Judi

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash (No Oil)

1 Acorn squash
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or more to taste)
Ground cinnamon (or other seasoning if preferred)

Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle of the oven.

Wash the acorn squash, then cut off the stem end. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings with a spoon. Place the squash halves cut side down on a cutting board and slice them about ½ to ¾-inch thick with a sharp knife.

Place the sliced squash in a large bowl. Mix the water and maple syrup in a small bowl. Drizzle the liquid over the squash pieces. Sprinkle the squash with cinnamon. Toss the squash pieces with your hands to disburse the syrup water and seasoning.

Lay the seasoned squash slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast them in your preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until they are fork-tender and caramelized. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.

Your roasted squash can be eaten with or without the peel. If desired, the peel can easily be removed by pulling it off with your fingers, or the squash pulp can be removed from the peel with a spoon.

Tips: If preferred, other seasoning can be used such as nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or allspice. Any sweetener of your choice can be used if preferred. More sweetener can also be used, but remember that the sugars in the squash and sweetener will be concentrated in the roasting process, so it may turn out sweeter than expected if you add too much!

Serving suggestion: Drizzle a little coconut milk over your roasted squash for a pudding-like dessert. Or simply enjoy it as it is for an easy side dish or even dessert. To dress it up, sprinkle the roasted squash with chopped nuts and even some chocolate chips, if desired! Get imaginative 🙂

Roasted Acorn Squash with Pears, Berries, Walnuts

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Roasted Acorn Squash with Pears, Berries, Walnuts

Roasted Acorn Squash with Pears, Berries, Walnuts

I was recently given some extra produce from our neighbor’s garden. They’ve shared a lot of assorted vegetables with me which was FABULOUS! Acorn squash was in the mix. Hence, I decided to get creative with it. I roasted one, then mixed it with stewed pears, walnuts and mixed berries. It was heavenly! I can truly picture it with a Thanksgiving meal. The sweetness of the squash and fruit would blend wonderfully with turkey and gravy.

So, of course I recorded a video of it and I have the recipe below. I urge you to try it because it’s really simple to make and doesn’t take much time, either. Watch the video to get a good feel for the flow of things. Enjoy! Judi

Roasted Acorn Squash with Pears, Berries and Walnuts
Makes 4 to 6 Servings

1 medium size acorn squash, roasted
1 large pear, any type
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp butter
1 to 2 tsp honey, optional*
Cinnamon to taste
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
About 1/4 cup berries of choice, fresh or frozen and thawed, cut into small pieces

Roast the squash: Preheat oven to 400F. Wash the squash then cut it lengthwise and remove the seeds. Coat each half (both inside and outside) with extra virgin olive oil. Place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet or one that was lined with parchment paper. Roast squash for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it’s fork-tender. Remove the squash from the oven and leave it on the baking sheet to cool a few minutes.

Meanwhile, while the squash is roasting, peel and core the pear. Cut into bite-size pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and water and toss to coat all pieces. Set aside until squash has roasted.

While the squash is cooling, heat a small pan over medium heat. Add butter and allow it to partially melt. Add the pear pieces AND the juice/water mixture to the pan. Stir in the honey or sweetener, if using it. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Stir to combine and allow the pears to stew for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are lightly cooked but not mushy. Remove them from the heat and stir in the walnuts and berries. Set aside.

Remove the squash from the peel and place it in a large bowl. Pour entire contents of the pan of pear mixture onto the squash. Toss lightly to coat the squash and serve immediately either from the bowl or use the squash skin shells as decorative serving bowls.

*Sweetener is optional in this dish, but does enhance the flavor. If you prefer something other than honey, any sweetener could be used–brown sugar, granulated sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar, agave nectar, stevia or something else your imagination leads you to try!