Acorn Squash with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette

We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. As you may know, this Saturday we rode in a charity bike ride for Multiple Sclerosis. We were debating whether to ride 75 or 100 miles and we decided to do 100! This was a distance Personal Record for both of us. We had so much fun and we can’t wait to share with you about our experience! A full recap will be coming in the next couple of days so stay tuned! Now, on to a great recipe…

Now that it is officially fall, you probably have started to notice different ingredients at your farmer’s market or food store. At our local farmer’s market, I (Mary) noticed a lot of different types of squash including pumpkin, acorn, butternut, & spaghetti squash. For me, squash is the ultimate fall ingredient. All of the different varieties of squash are delicious and healthy. Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Dietary Fiber, & Manganese…you can click here to read more about the nutritional benefits of Squash. We will certainly be featuring more recipes with squash throughout the fall! This recipe is perfect for a light dinner and is very easy to prepare. If you have never prepared squash, do not let it intimidate you…it is very easy to prepare and so delicious! This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen– Acorn Squash with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette. It is a recipe originally from Gourmet Magazine a few years ago. As you will see below, I chose to serve the Roasted Acorn Squash with Farro (an ancient Italian grain) and Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Acorn Squash with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette

Makes 4 servings.

2 (1 1/2 – to 1 3/4-lb) acorn squash
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh hot red chile, including seeds (can use dried chile flakes)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Halve squash lengthwise, then cut off and discard stem ends. Scoop out seeds and cut squash lengthwise into 3/4-inch-wide wedges. Toss squash with black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl, then arrange, cut sides down, in 2 large shallow baking pans. Roast squash, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until squash is tender and undersides of wedges are golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.

While squash roasts, mince garlic and mash to a paste with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer paste to a small bowl and whisk in lime juice, chile (to taste), cilantro, and remaining 1/4 cup oil until combined. Transfer squash, browned sides up, to a platter and drizzle with vinaigrette.