Baked Acorn Squash With Walnut Oil and Maple Syrup

By Martha Rose Shulman

Baked Acorn Squash With Walnut Oil and Maple Syrup
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(363)
Comments
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Acorn squash has a mild flavor and goes well with sweet and nutty seasonings. This makes a nice Thanksgiving side dish, though you might want to cut the baked halves in half again for smaller portions.

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Ingredients

Yield:Makes four large servings or eight medium servings
  • 2acorn squash
  • 2tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2tablespoons walnut oil
  • Freshly ground nutmeg
  • Ground walnuts
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until soft enough to easily cut in half. Cut in half, and scoop out the seeds and membranes.

  2. Step 2

    Cover a baking sheet with foil. Stir the maple syrup and walnut oil together in a bowl, then brush over the cut surfaces of the squash. Sprinkle with a very small amount of ground nutmeg. Place in the oven and bake 1 hour, brushing every 10 minutes with more oil and maple syrup. When the squash is tender, brush once more, then spoon a tablespoonful of finely chopped walnuts into each cavity and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the walnuts are toasty. Remove from the heat. Serve hot or warm.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: This can sit for an hour or so after it’s done. Cover with foil.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
363 user ratings
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Comments

Bjean

Be sure to stab the squash a few times before the pre-bake to release steam buildup to prevent it from exploding. I forgot to do that and the pressure caused the squash to rock back and forth in the oven like it was possessed. Very appropriately Halloween-y but I also had a mild heart-attack - it appeared as if it was trying to escape the oven.

Emily

I put my squash in microwave for about 4 minutes to soften & skipped the first step. So good!

Sara

Great simple side. Will definitely make again. I baked most of it the day before because I usually get home kind of late from work. I baked it for half an hour the day of consumption.

Cheryl

There are many recipes featuring acorn squash with a sweet glaze which require less attention than basting every 10 minutes. I wouldn’t bother with this one.

Cheryl

There are so many delicious ways to roast acorn squash with a sweet glaze that don't require basting every 10 minutes. This isn't one of them. Try something else.

bren

Needed salt, just a sprinkle to finish.

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