Roasted Baby Butternut Squash with Sage Wild Rice Stuffing
This is the perfect dish to make on a chilly autumn or winter night. It’s very versatile and the high level of presentation as well as flavor makes it suitable for holiday dinners. With this dish you will be a celebrity to your guests and to your taste buds.
To watch a video for this recipe, click here!
Makes: 4 baby butternut squash
Approximate prep time: 1-1 1/2 hours (depending on size of squash)
Ingredients
4 baby butternut squash
agave nectar or maple syrup for drizzling (optional)
Stuffing
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups toasted bread cubes
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 small red onion
1 pear (pears good for baking: red/green Anjou, Bosc)
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup wild rice (cooked)
1 cup dried cranberries (sweetened)
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground sweet fennel seeds
1 1/2 tsp sage
pinch of salt
Caramelized Walnuts
3/4 cup whole walnuts
2 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle of salt
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Begin by taking your bread of choice (a crusty whole-grain bread works best) and cut it into small bite size cubes until you have 2 cups full.
3. Drizzle the bread cubes with 1 Tbsp olive oil and toss to coat. Place bread cubes in a skillet over medium heat and toast until golden brown—approximately 3-4 minutes per side taking care not to burn. Set aside.
4. Chop the carrots, celery, red onion and pear into bite size chunks. Mince the garlic cloves.
5. Pour the remaining 2 Tbsp olive into a hot skillet over medium-low heat and add the chopped vegetables and minced garlic. Cook until they BEGIN to become tender-approximately 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. These will finish cooking in the oven when in the stuffing.
6. When vegetables are almost tender, transfer to a large bowl. Add the bread cubes, wild rice and the dried cranberries.
7. To the stuffing, pour 1 cup of vegetable stock. Stir and set aside.
8. While stuffing is soaking up the stock, cut the baby squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds in the center of each half. Drizzle with agave nectar and set aside (optional).
9. Season the stuffing with red pepper flakes, ground sweet fennel seeds, sage and salt. Stir to combine thoroughly.
10. Fill the cavities and cover the entire fleshy top of each piece of squash with stuffing.
11. Place the prepared squash in a large cast iron skillet or baking dish and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake at 400 F for 40-45 minutes.
12. During the last 5 minutes, heat a skillet over medium heat and add walnuts. Toss to toast evenly until they begin to turn a deeper brown—approximately 5 -7 minutes. Turn off heat and drizzle with agave nectar. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Toss to coat evenly.
13. Check to see if squash is tender by inserting a fork into the flesh and pulling it out with ease.
14. Remove squash from baking pan and arrange on a plate/serving platter. Divide equally the toasted walnuts between each squash piece. Serve hot.
Tips:
You can use a full size butternut squash for this recipe but just make sure to adjust the baking time to always ensure your squash is fully cooked.
Back to Dinner
To watch a video for this recipe, click here!
Makes: 4 baby butternut squash
Approximate prep time: 1-1 1/2 hours (depending on size of squash)
Ingredients
4 baby butternut squash
agave nectar or maple syrup for drizzling (optional)
Stuffing
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups toasted bread cubes
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 small red onion
1 pear (pears good for baking: red/green Anjou, Bosc)
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup wild rice (cooked)
1 cup dried cranberries (sweetened)
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground sweet fennel seeds
1 1/2 tsp sage
pinch of salt
Caramelized Walnuts
3/4 cup whole walnuts
2 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle of salt
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Begin by taking your bread of choice (a crusty whole-grain bread works best) and cut it into small bite size cubes until you have 2 cups full.
3. Drizzle the bread cubes with 1 Tbsp olive oil and toss to coat. Place bread cubes in a skillet over medium heat and toast until golden brown—approximately 3-4 minutes per side taking care not to burn. Set aside.
4. Chop the carrots, celery, red onion and pear into bite size chunks. Mince the garlic cloves.
5. Pour the remaining 2 Tbsp olive into a hot skillet over medium-low heat and add the chopped vegetables and minced garlic. Cook until they BEGIN to become tender-approximately 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. These will finish cooking in the oven when in the stuffing.
6. When vegetables are almost tender, transfer to a large bowl. Add the bread cubes, wild rice and the dried cranberries.
7. To the stuffing, pour 1 cup of vegetable stock. Stir and set aside.
8. While stuffing is soaking up the stock, cut the baby squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds in the center of each half. Drizzle with agave nectar and set aside (optional).
9. Season the stuffing with red pepper flakes, ground sweet fennel seeds, sage and salt. Stir to combine thoroughly.
10. Fill the cavities and cover the entire fleshy top of each piece of squash with stuffing.
11. Place the prepared squash in a large cast iron skillet or baking dish and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake at 400 F for 40-45 minutes.
12. During the last 5 minutes, heat a skillet over medium heat and add walnuts. Toss to toast evenly until they begin to turn a deeper brown—approximately 5 -7 minutes. Turn off heat and drizzle with agave nectar. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Toss to coat evenly.
13. Check to see if squash is tender by inserting a fork into the flesh and pulling it out with ease.
14. Remove squash from baking pan and arrange on a plate/serving platter. Divide equally the toasted walnuts between each squash piece. Serve hot.
Tips:
You can use a full size butternut squash for this recipe but just make sure to adjust the baking time to always ensure your squash is fully cooked.
Back to Dinner
© 2012 Alicia Armeli
