Autumn: my favorite time of year. This nutty, sweet acorn squash delivers all the tastes of fall with a surprising twist from pomegranate molasses. You can be sure this dish will delight your taste buds!
Ingredients:
1 medium-large – acorn squash
Pumpkin seed oil or olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons – butter
Fresh sage leaves
1 to 2 ounces – goat cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Roasted pumpkin seeds (Pepitas), optional
Pomegranate molasses
Fresh arugula leaves, optional
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut acorn squash in half, and remove the seeds and stringy parts. Keep seeds to roast using the instructions below. Cut squash cross-wise in half-inch slices. Lay on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of each slice with pumpkin seed oil. Season both sides with sea salt and black pepper. Roast 40 to 50 minutes, turning slices over halfway through cook time.
If using arugula, place a small handful on a plate before laying down the squash slices.
In a small sauté pan, melt the butter until foaming. Add a handful of sage leaves, and fry until crispy, swirling the leaves in the butter about 30 seconds. Remove to a paper towel, and sprinkle with salt. Handle gently so they don’t break.
To finish the platter, garnish the squash slices with small pieces of goat cheese, a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds, if using. Drizzle molasses over squash then top with the fried sage leaves.
To roast the acorn squash seeds:
Clean the stringy parts from the seeds, and wash the seeds in a strainer and dry well on paper towels. Lay out the seeds on a parchment-lined pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until toasted, and let cool a few minutes.