Roasted Acorn Squash with Gremolata
Fall turned on like a light switch this year. One minute we were tossing heirloom tomatoes in basil ribbons while our thighs rubbed together in shorts, and the next we were pulling out our cashmere and raincoats and toting bags full of grotesque gourds home from the market. Gourds look pleasantly rustic sitting on a counter, and perhaps trigger the medieval peasant genes that reward us for planning for future sustenance with a warm sense of security, and they do kind of count against your five a day as vegetables. Leafy green salads take a dip during the colder months, so I suggest that instead of just coating your squash in brown sugar and butter, you turn it into a savory vegetarian main course. Roasted squash, with a bit of something creamy and a pile of this green gremolata and a handful of breadcrumbs, is a meal in itself. And counts as a salad.
True Italian gremolata is simply lemon, parsley, and garlic minced together. It brings a bit of zing and crunch and bitterish green to pastas, salads, or grilled meats, and is a secret ingredient for roasted vegetables. This gremolata has a few non-canon additions, but no Italian grandmas know where I live, so I won’t worry about it.
INGREDIENTS
serves 2
• 1 acorn squash, cut in half, longitudinally, North Pole to South Pole. Scoop out the guts, set aside.
HARISSA HONEY GLAZE
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp harissa paste or powder
• lemon juice
• garlic powder
• salt
• olive oil
GREMOLATA
• 2 cups or so of chopped parsley
• 1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1-2 cloves crushed garlic
• Olive oil
OPTIONAL EXTRA FLAIR
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• A shake or two of harissa powder, garlic powder, black pepper
• Zest from one of the lemons
• 1/2 cup crushed nuts (pine and/or almonds are nice)
• A handful of toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• A smear or dab of plain yogurt
• sumac
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash the squash innards in cold water and remove all the membrane. Lay the seeds out onto a paper towel to dry for a few minutes.
3. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet or in a baking pan.
4. Toss the squash seeds with a little olive oil, salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Spread across a baking sheet lined with a silpat mat or some baking paper.
5. Roast the squash for about 35-40 minutes until the squash is soft. Roast the seeds for about 10-15 minutes until golden.
6. Combine gremolata ingredients. Throw in the squash seeds. Toss.
7. Drizzle yogurt over the roasted squash, mound with the gremolata-breadcrumb combination, and sprinkle with sumac.
MAKE IT A MEAL
If your acorn squash is the main course, may I suggest a roasted sausage as a side dish? And perhaps some couscous? If it’s off to the side, it’s a side dish.
FACTOIDS:
Acorn squash is also called Des Moines Squash. Isn’t that exciting?
You can Jack O’Lantern an acorn squash.
“Squash” seems like a funny name for gourds, which of all foods are the most difficult to actually squash. According to the Library of Congress, “Squash” comes from the Narragansett Native American word askutasquash, which means “eaten raw or uncooked.” But if you have ever tried to eat a raw squash, you will find this equally confusing.
