forCan’t You Picture This on Your Thanksgiving Table?
In a recent post I mentioned that I had yet to figure out what to make with a buttercup squash that was sitting on my counter. I hadn’t realized how dense and heavy the squash was – over 5 pounds, so I ended up using it for 2 different meals, and this is what I did for one of them.
I sliced the peeled squash into thick wedges because I wanted them to roast long enough in the oven to caramelize without becoming too mushy, so a thick slice was in order. While I made this with buttercup squash, any winter squash could be used. Yes, there are subtle differences between varieties, but they are mostly interchangeable.
I stirred together orange marmalade, minced fresh rosemary, a tiny bit of water, and then heated it in the microwave, just long enough for the marmalade to melt. This happened to be homemade marmalade I had on hand and it contained a lot of orange peel that I had cut into small pieces. If your marmalade’s orange peel is in large pieces, chop them up smaller.
In a large bowl, I stirred together the squash slices with the melted marmalade, a teaspoon of kashmiri chili powder, a few tablespoons of olive oil, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Everything went onto a parchment lined sheet pan and I roasted it at 425° for about 25 minutes.
At that point I flipped the pieces of squash and added fresh cranberries to the pan. It went back in the oven for 20 more minutes, aw which time the squash was fully cooked and starting to brown, and the cranberries had burst and were soft.
I had made a batch of my homemade ricotta and used a cup of it to go along with the squash and cranberries. I stirred finely grated orange zest, black pepper and a pinch of salt into the ricotta and let it sit so the flavors could meld while the squash baked. I thought the milky creaminess of the ricotta would be delicious played off the sharpness of the cranberries and the deep earthiness of the squash. At least that’s what I was hoping would happen.
As I plated the squash and cranberries, I realized they needed a little extra hit of sweetness. My marmalade isn’t terribly sweet and the cranberries are so tart, it needed to be balanced. I drizzled on a couple tablespoons of pure maple syrup and a little olive oil, sprinkled everything with black sesame seeds for both crunch and flavor, little more salt, and scattered on a handful of microgreens.
A dollop of the seasoned ricotta spooned on each serving ended up being the icing on the cake. It was sooooooooo good. And I’ve been adding fresh cranberries to a a lot of things lately. They are highly versatile because they can be treated in so many different ways. But this is one of the best things I’ve done with them so far. The squash is so mellow and earthy it really does benefit from the bright tartness of the fresh cranberries.
And this doesn’t need to be served warm. It is just as delicious at room temperature. And while I made it a week or so ago, I can’t help but think it’s the perfect Thanksgiving side dish. It can be made early in the day and put to the side until it’s time to eat. Of course, you don’t want the ricotta sitting out at room temp for hours. Just bring it out when it’s feasting time.
On this note, I hope everyone has a cozy and love filled Thanksgiving. And if you’re like me and doing the cooking, the day before is my favorite cooking day of the year – pies and prepping everything else so that Thanksgiving Day is a joy and not a drudge is the way to go. Happy Thanksgiving Wishes to Each and Every One of You!
Roasted Squash and Cranberries with Ricotta
6-8
servingsWedges of winter squash are roasted with cranberries, orange marmalade, and fresh rosemary before being topped with a little maple syrup and black sesame seeds. A little orange zest and plenty of black pepper are stirred into fresh ricotta and served along with the squash and cranberries. What a gorgeous and delicious platter of food!
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Ingredients
3.5 pounds buttercup squash or any other winter squash, seeds removed, and peeled
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary, plus additional for garnish
1/2 cup orange marmalade (chop the orange peel if it is in large pieces)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or any other pure red chili powder
Kosher salt
Black pepper
122 g (approximately 1 1/3 cups) fresh cranberries
227 g /8 ounces (1 cup) ricotta
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Black sesame seeds
Microgreens
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425° with a rack in the center. Cut squash into 1.5 inch thick wedges and place in a large bowl. Stir together the marmalade, 1 teaspoon water, and the minced rosemary in a small bowl. Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave and add to the bowl of squash. Stir in olive oil and kashmiri chili powder. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Toss well. I find it easiest to just use my hands and mix everything together.
- Place the squash on a parchment lined half sheet pan (13 x 18 inches) and pour over any seasonings left in the bowl. Roast for 25 minutes. Flip the pieces of squash, scatter the cranberries around the squash, return to the oven and roast for 20 more minutes. The cranberries should have burst open and the squash should be fully cooked and brown on the edges.
- In the meantime, while the squash is roasting, stir together the ricotta , orange zest, several grinds of black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Place in a small serving bowl and set aside.
- Scoop the squash and cranberries onto a large platter. Add the bowl of seasoned ricotta to the platter. Spoon the maple syrup over the squash and cranberries. Sprinkle on as many black sesame seeds as you’d like, a little kosher salt, and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Scatter on a handful of microgreens, and a sprig of fresh rosemary, serve, and Enjoy!
2 Responses
Made this last night as a main course and it was AMAZING. Perfect amount of sweetness and tang. Made the ricotta using your recipe too, I had failed with a different one once previously so was nervous but it turned out really nicely. Both great recipes!
Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed this recipe, Shawn. I love it, too! And I make my ricotta recipe quite frequently. It’s so easy and so delicious, isn’t it? I find new ways to enjoy it all the time.