Around this time of the year, acorn squash fills the farm stands and my local markets. Ridged and webbed with strings and seeds. Some more green, some more orange.
Yet, despite all their visual differences, most acorn squash is similar in flavor — and, once you scoop out the seeds, you can do just about anything with them.
I like to roast them and mash them with butter and brown sugar or slice them thin for tempura to nestle into salty and spicy udon soup.
But, while I do love roasted acorn squash, after having it a few times, I need to branch out — like with this roasted acorn squash hit with almond aioli & topped with a bright, crunchy picada.
Here, almonds, both as an aioli and a topping, bring out the earthy, sweetness of the roasted squash. The garlicky, herby picada gives both depth and contrast.
This will be gracing my table all throughout the fall. It’s made with simple ingredients and works best-served family style.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Almond Aioli & Picada
Ingredients
ALMOND AIOLI
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 large whole egg
- 2 tsp 10 ml fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup 165 ml grapeseed oil
- 1/4 cup 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp almond butter, unsweetened
- kosher salt
ALMOND PICADA
- 1/2 cup 55 g roasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup 30 g almond meal
- 2 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
ROASTED ACORN SQUASH
- 2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup 60 ml water
- 2 Tbsp 30 g unsalted butter
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the Almond Aioli
- With the back of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste. Add the egg, garlic paste, and lemon juice to a blender and secure the lid.
- Blend on medium speed while pouring the grapeseed oil into the blender in a slow, steady stream. Go slowly so as to not break the emulsion. Once the grapeseed oil is fully emulsified, drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil with the blender running until incorporated. The aioli should be very thick and pale in color at this point.
- Stir the almond butter into the aioli. To make the aioli a pourable sauce, thin it by stirring in 2 or 3 Tbsp of ice water. Taste and season with salt.
- Store any leftover aioli in an airtight continuer in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make the Almond Picada
- In a small, dry frying pan, toast the almonds over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool and coarsely chop. In the same pan, toast the almond meal until fragrant, about 1 minute. Let cool.
- In a mortar with a pestle, combine the almonds, garlic, lemon zest. Smash the ingredients into a coarse paste. Add the almond meal and parsley and continue to mash until incorporated. Stir in the extra-virgin olive and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the Squash
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Season the acorn squash with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Put the squash cut-side down in a large roasting pan. Add the water to the pan, cover with aluminum foil, and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, add 2 tbsp of butter to the pan, and continue roasting until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the squash to a serving platter, drizzle some of the almond aioli over the squash, and then scatter the picada on top. Season with flaky salt. Serve warm.
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