A colorful side dish appropriate for a fall feast or Thanksgiving dinner, these stuffed acorn squashes are also hearty enough for a vegetarian main course. They are delicious served warm or at room temperature, so you can cook them ahead of time.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice and Grapes
1/3 cup wild rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 acorn squashes, halved and seeds removed
1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) olive oil
4 shallots, chopped
1 lb. (500 g) seedless red grapes
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
3 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 Tbs. pepitas, toasted
Rinse the wild rice in cold water, then drain. In a small saucepan, combine the rice, a pinch of salt and 1 1/3 cups (11 fl. oz./345 ml) water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is al dente, about 40 minutes. Drain the rice in a sieve and set aside to cool. The rice may be prepared a few days ahead.
Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brush the cuts sides of the squash halves with 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Place, cut side down, on one end of the prepared baking sheet.
In a bowl, toss together the shallots, grapes and the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Transfer to the other end of the baking sheet with the squashes. Roast until the squashes are fork-tender and the grapes have started to wilt, 35 to 40 minutes.
Transfer the shallots and grapes to a large bowl. Add the thyme, vinegar and wild rice and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the squash halves, cut side up, to a baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer, and fill with the rice mixture. Roast until the rice is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the pepitas, cut each squash half in half and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.
Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen