Baked Acorn Squash with Pecans Recipe

White plate with several slices of baked acorn squash topped with a pecan crust.

Looking for a fun and delicious squash side dish for the holiday season? This is a reliable favorite. Gluten-free and vegetarian, my Baked Acorn Squash is crusted with a scrumptious brown sugar pecan mixture, and it's served with Crispy Sage Leaves.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: great for Thanksgiving, fall comfort food recipes, gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes

Servings:

Calories: 282kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

Ingredients

1 approximately 2-pound Acorn squash
1 cup raw pecans, finely ground (see notes)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
2¼ teaspoons brown sugar
1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 dozen fresh sage leaves, washed and dried
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened room temperature

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Set the oven and prepare baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425°F, adjust a rack to the center and line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
Make the pecan topping. Chop the pecans as finely as possible and then mix them with the brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, salt and olive oil.  Set aside. (It's easiest to use a spice grinder or mini food processor for the pecans.)
Make crispy sage leaves. While the squash is baking, lightly coat the bottom of a small sauté pan with olive oil, and place it over high heat. Once the oil is very hot, add the whole sage leaves. They should crisp up within about 20 seconds or so. Sprinkle with salt and set them aside to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.   
Prepare the squash. Wash and dry the squash well. Then cut it in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to remove the seeds and any stringy membranes. Now cut each half into approximately ½-inch slices, horizontally.
Assemble. Generously drizzle the parchment-lined sheet pan with olive oil and evenly sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Place the squash slices on top. Then, divide the pecan mixture evenly among the slices by gently pressing it on the surface of each one, about ⅛ inch thick.
Bake. Place one or two sage leaves under each slice, and then place the pan in the preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and cover it loosely with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven again, and evenly distribute the butter between the top surfaces of each slice, directly on top of the pecan mixture.
Place the pan back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so -- when it's done, the squash should be very soft, the pecan crust should be golden, and the butter should be bubbling a bit.
Cool and serve. Let the pecan-crusted squash cool on the sheet pan and then arrange the slices on a serving plate and garnish with the crispy sage leaves. Serve!

Notes

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

Nutrition