Roasted acorn squash halves filled with nutty wild rice, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, sautéed shallot and fresh herbs.
Before you start: heat the oven to 400°F. Delicata or small sugar pumpkins work too; adjust roasting time until tender.
Cook the wild rice up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate; let it come to room temperature before stuffing. Any extra filling makes a good side or lunch salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 2 acorn squash (halved through the stem and seeded)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (divided)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup wild rice (rinsed)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup pecans
- 1 shallot (minced)
- 2 tbsp fresh sage (chopped)
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 2 acorn squash (halved through the stem and seeded)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (divided)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup wild rice (rinsed)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup pecans
- 1 shallot (minced)
- 2 tbsp fresh sage (chopped)
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
Prep the squash
Heat the oven to 400°F.
Halve acorn squash through the stem and scoop out the seeds.
Brush the cut sides and cavities with olive oil (2 tbsp), sprinkle with salt (½ tsp) and set cut-side down on the lined sheet.
Equipment: heavy chef's knife, rimmed baking sheet and parchment
Cook the rice and roast the squash
Bring vegetable broth (3 cups) to a boil in the saucepan. Stir in wild rice (1 cup), cover and simmer over low heat until chewy-tender and many grains have split open, about 45 minutes. Drain off any liquid that's left.
Meanwhile, roast the squash until the flesh is tender when pierced and the cut edges are caramelized, about 40 minutes.
Equipment: medium saucepan with lid, rimmed baking sheet and parchment
Toast the pecans
Toast pecans (¾ cup) in the dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Tip onto a board and chop coarsely.
Equipment: skillet
Soften the shallot and sage
In the same skillet, heat olive oil (1 tbsp) and cook shallot and sage (2 tbsp), stirring, until the shallot is soft, about 2 minutes.
Equipment: skillet
Mix the filling
In the bowl, toss the cooked rice with dried cranberries (¾ cup), the pecans, the shallot mixture, thyme (1 tbsp), parsley (2 tbsp), salt (½ tsp) and pepper (¼ tsp).
Equipment: mixing bowl
Stuff and finish
Flip the squash halves cut-side up and mound the filling loosely into each cavity.
Return to the oven until the filling is hot, about 10 minutes. Serve one half per person.
Equipment: rimmed baking sheet and parchment
Tomorrow's Meal
Wild Rice & Squash Breakfast Hash
Leftover squash scooped and diced, crisped in a skillet with the wild rice filling and topped with fried eggs.
You'll need to pick up:
1 tbsp olive oil2 eggs (or crumbled tofu to keep it vegan)pinch of chili flakes
Quick overview:
- 1.Scoop the leftover squash from its skin and cut into chunks
- 2.Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the squash and filling; press flat and cook 4 to 5 minutes until crisp underneath and hot through to 165°F
- 3.Stir, make 2 wells, crack in the eggs, cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set
- 4.Sprinkle with chili flakes and serve
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Before you start: heat the oven to 400°F.
- • Cook the wild rice up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate; let it come to room temperature before stuffing.
- • Delicata or small sugar pumpkins work too; adjust roasting time until tender.
- • Any extra filling makes a good side or lunch salad.
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