Acorn Squash Stuffed with Autumn Fruit Compote
If you’re looking for a unique and awesome side dish for Thanksgiving, look no further. If you’re not looking for a Thanksgiving side dish, add this squash to your meal plan for the week. Because this squash is awesome.
It honestly reminds me of my favorite Depths of Fall Pie. Both have all the flavors of fall mixed into one dish. I made this the other day because I grabbed some beautiful acorn squash at the farmers market. I came home and headed where I always go when I need a recipe, my Google Reader.
I think the squash I got were pretty big because I ended up only having enough filling for 3 of the halves. And I can’t imagine one of those halves being a side dish. I ate one half for lunch and was full all afternoon.
The other two halves were cut into quarters for a more reasonable amount of food for a side dish. So when you do make this and you’re shopping for squash, keep in mind that you want to serve a half of a squash per person. It’s a lot easier to scoop out the awesomeness when you have a half instead of a quarter.
Three Years Ago: Gnocchi with Shrimp and Asparagus
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Autumn Fruit Compote
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 ripe pear, peeled cored, and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp maple syrup
zest of one orange
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp bourbon
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place squash cut side down in a baking dish. Add hot water until it is 1/4 inch deep. Bake for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the olive oil, orange juice, and bourbon.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add apple mixture and cook until the fruit begins to brown, about five minutes.
Stir in the orange juice and bourbon and simmer until the fruit is tender, about eight minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven, our the water from the pan, and turn squash cut side up.
Fill the squash with the apple mixture. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Bake 15 minutes more.
Recipe as seen on Apple a Day, originally from The All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking
Boston area readers, don’t forget that I’m selling pies for Pie In the Sky. The cost of your pie will feed someone in need for an entire week! Please consider buying a pie for a good cause.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Stunning color!!
beantownbaker — October 8th, 2013 @ 7:06 pm
It just makes me smile 🙂
Oh gosh, I love this recipe! So creative 🙂
We’re making this for dinner tomorrow, sounds perfect! And what a great way to contribute to Breast Cancer Awareness month. Keep it up!
Snowy hello’s from Oslo, Norway/ Tanja Simone, http://somekindashuffle.wordpress.com
beantownbaker — October 23rd, 2013 @ 12:27 am
Thanks! I hope you enjoyed the pasta.
I made this tonight and it was truly one of the worse things I’ve made; the sauce was really chunky and dry, and stuck in my throat every time I took a bite, and the garlic made it even drier. I would not recommend this to anyone.
This is very good. Leaving some of the pasta water is important, as well as adding the olive oil. Grating the beet into the pasta made a gorgeous colored magenta. Eating pasta right away prevents drying out. An optional addition could be adding a can of coconut milk to make a pink saucy dish. Topped with nuts and cheese, yes!