Baked Acorn Squash with Pineapple and Parmesan

Winter Squash, Cheese and Fruit Combine for Vegetarian Sidedish

Nov 13, 2008 Maryan Pelland

A sweet, palate pleasing vegan vegetables is acorn squash. Cook it with fruit, maple syrup, cheese or savory flavorings. This simple recipe yields healthy satisfaction.

Squash, all varieties, is the perfect winter vegetable. Squash is inexpensive, easy to store, nutritious (rich in iron, and A, B, and C vitamins) and flavorful, and not too challenging to cook. This recipe is for beginners and up.

When you shop, choose an acorn squash heavy for its size, with a hard, dark green rind. No need to refrigerate. Store your squash in a cool, dark place, like a vegetable bin in your cabinet, for about four weeks. Wash the outside of the vegetables thoroughly before cooking. Leftovers may be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to a month or refrigerated for a couple of days.

Surprisingly, even children get excited over the sweet, tangy flavor blend of this vegetable dish. It can be quartered and served as a side, or halved and used as a luncheon course, an appetizer or even a main vegetarian dish.

Baked Pineapple Squash Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 carefully chosen acorn squash
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 small can pineapple chunks, drained
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (use a good brand like Regiano)
  • 2 pats of butter
  • Sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Using a large, sharp knife pierce the squash two or three times to vent it and put it in the microwave on high for about 1 to 2 minutes, just to soften it.
  3. With your knife, slice into the squash and cut through it from the stem end to the opposite end, open it. With a metal tablespoon, scrape out the seats and the fibrous stuff in the center of each half.
  4. Put about a half-inch of water in the bottom of the cake pan so your squash doesn't dry out. Set the squash halves in the pan with the cut side up.
  5. Divide the pineapple chunks, putting half of them in each half squash.
  6. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over each half squash.
  7. Do the same with the Parmesan cheese, packing it down a bit so it doesn't scatter into the pan.
  8. Put a pat of butter on top each squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your taste. The pepper is an excellent accent.
  9. Carefully slide the cake pan into the oven (on the center shelf) and bake the squash for an hour to an hour and a half, until the meaty part is very soft tender and the Parmesan cheese has begun to brown. Once the squash is done, you can quickly boil the top of the keys for a golden brown to medium brown accent.

You can serve 2 to 4 people with this recipe depending upon the size of the squash and whether you use the dish for a side or a main course or appetizer. Experiment with other cheeses if you feel adventurous.

The copyright of the article Baked Acorn Squash with Pineapple and Parmesan in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Maryan Pelland. Permission to republish Baked Acorn Squash with Pineapple and Parmesan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Acorn squash is easy to bake, File photo Acorn squash is easy to bake