Roasted Balsamic Acorn Squash and Shallots

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Roasting vegetables brings out the flavor in this roasted balsamic acorn squash and shallots. A great side dish made with delicious fall produce.

Roasted acorn squash and shallots is a nice side dish for any meal.

Thank you to Melissa’s Produce and Le Creuset for sponsoring this post. I received products to create and display the recipe. All opinions are my own.

While Spring produce seems to get the lion’s share of attention – think pea shoots and fiddlehead ferns – or Summer’s produce – think corn, zucchini, and watermelon, Fall’s fabulous produce is sandwiched between the glut of pumpkin spice and apple recipes for Halloween and the sweets-heavy holiday season.

This year, I’m featuring some fall produce from Melissa’s Produce. The box included a variety of squash – acorn, delicata and butternut, baby beets, chestnuts, shallots, pearl onions, celery root, fennel, garlic, fingerling potato assortment, dried guajillo chilis, persimmons, pears, and pomegranates, oh my! It was hard to decide what to make.

First up for the week is this delicious roasted balsamic acorn squash and shallots. Truth be told, I’ve never worked with acorn squash before. I’ve enjoyed it many times, prepared in a variety of ways but never had to break one down.

Acorn squash can be very intimidating. I knew I wanted to make a quick weeknight side dish for our meal so I set out to cut it up. My first piece of advice, use the sharpest knife you have and be careful. My second piece of advice, don’t even try to peel it. Cut off the edge. The skin is edible but I wanted a nice all-around caramelization so I chose to remove it. Cutting the squash into 1 – 2-inch pieces allows it to cook thoroughly in less time.

I cut the shallots into quarters and tossed them in without separating them because I knew once they cooked they would fall apart on their own. If you’re not familiar with shallots, it is a type of onion but most closely related to garlic, leeks, and chives. It’s a mild flavor when roasted.

Roasting vegetables give them so much more flavor than steaming them. My roasted balsamic acorn squash and shallots get all caramelized in the oven and gets additional flavor from fresh rosemary. I’m proud to say the rosemary came from my garden.

While it’s cooking, you need to be sure to stir it a couple of times so all sides get that caramelization. Roasting at a high temperature gets the job done quickly but that also means that you can easily burn the vegetables, so pay close attention. Serve this roasted balsamic acorn squash with any beef or poultry dish. I served it on my new Le Creuset platter in hibiscus.


Melissa's bountiful produce

 
 

 

Roasted balsamic acorn squash and shallots makes the best of fall produce.

Roasted Balsamic Acorn Squash and Shallots

Make the best of fall produce with roasted balsamic acorn squash and shallots.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 acorn squash seeded, peeled and cut into approximately 1 to 2-inch pieces
  • 3 shallots peeled, cut into quarters but not separated
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  • In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar until well combined.
  • Place acorn squash and shallots in glass baking dish. Sprinkle with rosemary. Season with sea salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar mixture and toss to coat.
  • Bake until squash is tender, about 30 – 35 minutes, stirring once half way through cooking. Pieces may have a brown, caramelized look.
  • Serve warm.

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