Growing up, one of my maternal Grandmother's favorite side dishes was roasted acorn squash.
Simple, yummy, elegant. It may seem odd to plunk a squash half on a toddler's plate and hand them a spoon, but we all ate it and loved it when we were small.
This is such an 'autumnal' recipe, and it looks beautiful when you serve it. I love how the cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and pecans melt and caramelize in the cavity of each squash half, so you can spoon it over as you eat.
"I look at this squash and think they are quite beautiful. Alligator green skin, then burnished electric gold on the inside..."
Notes: Butter is unsalted. Brown sugar is light brown.
CINNAMON ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH PECANS
Ingredients: 2 acorn squash, 1/2 cup broken pecans, 1/4 cup melted butter, 4 tbsp. brown sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt.
Serves 2-4.
1. Preheat oven to 375* and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Cut the squash in half horizontally. Remove seeds, then place on the baking sheet. Brush each half with melted butter, then sprinkle over: generous cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt to taste. Divide the broken pecans between each half.
3. Cover the squash with another piece of foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove foil and go for 5-10 minutes longer until squash is fork-tender. Serve immediately.
Tip: To help the squash lay flat, slice off a small piece from the bottom of each half (being careful not to slice through to the center) so that they are not tipping when on the baking sheet--otherwise your cinnamon sauce will fall out. To help them cook, put a few drops of water around them on the baking sheet. This will create a little bit of steam.
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