Pilar Valdes' Roast Delicata Squash Stuffed with Grains, Rosemary-Miso Maple Dressing

10 minsPrep Time

50 minsCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

3 small Delicata Squash, approximately 2.5 lbs, rinsed and scrubbed clean
3 cups cooked Grains (you can use your favorite grain here like basmati, black rice, farro or barley or even a non-grain, like quinoa or lentils)
2 oz bacon, cut into 1/2 " batons (to keep the recipe vegan, you can substitute 2 ounces mushrooms, sliced into 1/2" pieces)
4 oz seedless grapes, 1 heaping cup, rinsed and de-stemmed
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 small shallot, approximately 1.5 ounce, chopped
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp White Miso Paste
1/4 tsp warm spice of your choice! (such as nutmeg, ground cinnamon, or ground ginger) pinch of chili flakes
1 heaping cup of arugula or baby spinach, approximately 1 ounce
1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped, approximately 4 tablespoons
2 tbsp pepitas
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, miso, rosemary, warm spice and olive oil until combined. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.

Trim the ends of the delicata squash. Cut in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds. (Save the seeds for another use.) Place the squash halves in the bowl with the dressing. Add the grapes. Toss to coat. Transfer the squash, trimmed ends down, to a prepared sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Add the grapes. (Set aside the leftover dressing.) Roast until the squash is fully cooked and offers little resistance when pierced with a knife, but still maintains its shape, about 35 minutes. Cover, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, set a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until it just starts to get crispy. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat (save it for another use). Add the shallots and continue to cook until the shallots are softened and fully cooked, about 3 minutes more. Turn off the heat.

Gently add to the bacon-shallot mixture the cooked rice, remaining miso-maple dressing, celery, pepitas, roasted grapes and fresh greens. Check seasoning and add salt or black pepper, to taste.