Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberries and Pecans
Acorn squash roasted until it collapses into its own bowl, then packed with maple quinoa, cranberries, and toasted pecans — a vegetarian main that needs no apology.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Written
Method
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Heat the oven to 400°F.
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Brush the cut sides of the squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and set cut-side down on a baking sheet.
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Roast until a knife slides through the flesh with no resistance, 35 to 40 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine the quinoa and broth in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the liquid is gone and the grains have gone translucent with a curled white germ, about 15 minutes.
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Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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Stir in the cooked quinoa, cranberries, pecans, maple syrup, and thyme, and season to taste.
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Flip the squash halves cut-side up, mound the quinoa mixture into each, and return to the oven until the filling is heated through and browned at the edges, about 10 minutes.
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Scatter with feta and parsley before serving.
Notes
The squash goes in cut-side down first for a reason: the flesh steams against the hot pan while the skin browns, so it finishes tender all the way to the shell instead of drying out at the edges before the center gives. Don’t rush this step by roasting it face-up from the start — the whole dish depends on that collapse.
Swap in delicata if you don’t want to fight with a vegetable peeler; it roasts faster and the skin is edible. This scales up easily for a holiday table, or down to a dinner for two with one squash split four ways as a side instead of a main.