Simply roasted acorn squash is drizzled with this sweet-and-sour apple cider gastrique and topped with a slightly spicy, savory granola. It can be eaten alone or alongside roasted chicken, turkey or beef for a more substantial meal.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Spicy Granola and Apple Gastrique

Category

Category name

Serves

Serves 2 to 4

For the Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients

  • One acorn squash, seeded and cut into 1 ½-inch thick wedges
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup Apple Gastrique, recipe below
  • 1 cup Spicy Granola, recipe below
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss the squash with the olive oil and season with salt. Arrange the squash, skin side down, on the rack and roast until tender and well browned in spots, about 30 minutes. Transfer the squash to a serving platter. Drizzle with the gastrique and sprinkle the granola and parsley over the top. Serve hot or warm.

For the Spicy Granola

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped cashews
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons flaxseeds
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, warmed until melted
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup diced candied ginger

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, brown sugar, paprika, red pepper flakes, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Then, stir in the coconut oil and maple syrup. Spread the granola on the baking sheet and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until the oats, nuts and seeds are golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the ginger. The granola can be made several days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

For the Apple Gastrique

Ingredients

  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Method

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cider, sugar, vinegar and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil the mixture until it has reduced to a glazy, syrupy consistency, just like maple syrup. Transfer the gastrique to a container with a tight-fitting lid. It can be made a few days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.