Roasted Acorn Squash with Roasted Grapes, Frico and Pine Nut Dressing Recipe

Print Recipe

Roasted Acorn Squash with Roasted Grapes, Frico and Pine Nut Dressing Recipe

Servings:

Author: Pamela

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil or olive oil divided
¾ teaspoon sea salt plus more for seasoning grapes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1 ½ -1 ¾ lb acorn squash
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2/3 pound black or red seedless grapes removed from stems
Frico:
6 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Pecorino doesn’t work as well
Pine nut dressing:
6 Tablespoons pine nuts toasted in a dry skillet until light golden brown
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon raw neutral-flavored honey
½ teaspoon salt
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
small clove garlic minced or left whole if your blender is powerful
¼ cup soy-free Vegenaise or high-quality mayonnaise
¼ cup unrefined cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

To roast the squash: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
Halve squash lengthwise, then cut off and discard stem ends. Scoop out seeds and cut squash crosswise (for a pretty scalloped edge) or lengthwise into ¾-inch wide wedges.
Toss squash with 2 Tablespoons oil and rosemary in a bowl then arrange cut sides down on prepared pans. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste.
Roast squash, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until squash is tender and undersides of wedges are golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
To roast grapes: Lower the oven to 425 degrees. Toss grapes with remaining 2 Tablespoons oil, arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast grapes until they have shriveled slightly, about 30 minutes.
To make frico, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Scoop 6 mounds of grated Parmesan cheese (1 Tablespoon per mound) onto a parchment lined baking sheets, spreading each mound to about 3” wide and spacing them at least 1” apart. Bake cheese until melted and light brown, 10-12 minutes. Frico will still be soft/pliable when removing from oven. Allow to cool on the baking sheet to harden and get crispy. Break into bite size pieces.
To make dressing: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until emulsified and creamy.
To serve: Arrange acorn squash on a platter and scatter grapes over the wedges. Drizzle with some pine nut dressing and top with frico. Serve remaining dressing on the side. Squash can be served warm or room temperature.

Notes

Acorn squash can be cut the day before.
Acorn squash and grapes can be roasted Thanksgiving morning and served at room temperature or warmed in the oven just before serving.
Frico can be made 2 days in advance.
Dressing can be made a day in advance. Bring to room temperature before serving.