Fall side dishes tend to make me a little more creative in the kitchen. Fresh vegetables in early spring and summer can be fairly simple. They are so fresh, not much is needed to show off their best flavor. But when using root vegetables and heartier squash, they lend themselves to accenting with other warm flavors and seasonings.
For the holidays, I still like to make our traditional favorites, but I love to incorporate at least one different or new dish. While I enjoy working with sweet potatoes, pumpkin and butternut squash, I realized I had not shown the same love to acorn squash in a rather long time. Roasted, with a bit of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, acorn squash is perfectly delightful, and turns a bit sweet. But I paired it with mild shallots and the bitterness of radicchio for this recipe. Crunchy toasted walnuts and a sweet-tart dressing tie it all together.
The dressing has a tanginess from the vinegar and Dijon, plus a slightly sweet taste of maple syrup.
You may desire to use sweet potatoes, or other squash, and either will substitute well. If the bitterness of radicchio isn’t something you like, the roasted vegetables with the shallots, topped with toasted walnuts, and the dressing, also makes a lovely side dish.
I want to pause to say thank you to my husband, a dedicated veteran. And he and I extend our gratitude to all our veterans on this upcoming day of appreciation. We are grateful for you 365 days of the year.
Enjoy food make fresh!
Roasted Acorn Squash with Radicchio
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2 medium acorn squash
1 large shallot, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 small head radicchio
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 375° F. Place walnuts on a small baking tray. Toast them for 8 to 9 minutes, watching closely, to ensure they do not over brown. Set aside.
Cut squash in half, then into quarters. Scoop out seeds and membranes. Carefully cut the tough skin from each wedge of squash with a paring knife. Cut the quarters into 1-inch, bite-size pieces.
Place the squash pieces and sliced shallots onto a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Scatter the thyme sprigs over the mixture. Bake for 25 minutes.
In the meantime, remove two outer layers of leaves from the head of radicchio. Cut into quarters and trim off the core. Cut the quarters into large chunks, leaving intact when possible. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Remove roasted squash and shallots from oven; move them to one end of the baking sheet, discarding the thyme, (a small amount of thyme leaves will have fallen off and will be plenty for seasoning the squash). Add the radicchio and continue baking for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, Dijion mustard, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
Gently toss the squash mixture with toasted walnuts. To serve, drizzle with dressing. Makes 8 servings.
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