Saturday, November 2, 2013

Winter squash delight

Photo and text by KARA DiCAMILLO in EcoRI.org

Salty and sweet has to be one of my favorite flavor combinations. Bring on the stinky bleu cheese with honey, chocolate covered pretzels and salted caramel.

With this recipe, I decided to stick to that theme since acorn squash needs to be seasoned really well in order for the flavors to sing. While many recipes call for brown sugar for the glaze, I substituted local maple syrup instead.



Roasted Acorn Squash with Parmesan Maple Glaze 


Serves 4

1 acorn squash
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt

Freshly cracked pepper

Half stick of butter

Quarter cup of parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Quarter teaspoon of rosemary, minced
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds and then slice the halves into four equal wedges. Place the wedges, skin side down, in a baking dish. Drizzle the wedges with olive oil, and then season, generously, with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the butter, cheese, maple syrup and rosemary in a small bowl and mix until it is a paste.

Remove the squash from the oven and smear the butter paste over the wedges (divided evenly). Return to the oven and roast for another 30 minutes, or until the squash is a dark, golden brown.

Your paste will become a sauce, so halfway through the roasting process make sure to brush it over the top. Serve immediately — drizzle more sauce over the top and season with salt, if desired.