Stuffed delicata squash

Bysaffronandhoney

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We’re firmly in winter squash season, and delicata squash is – as the name suggests – more delicate and slightly sweeter than other varieties.

It is also easier to work with because it cooks much faster than other squashes.

And how delicious does that look? And all it takes, is about an hour with your oven and your food processor. The filling resembles a peppery, green hummus, with the added crunch of chickpeas and a little panko.

Tip: If you cannot find wasabi greens (they are micro greens and I had a local variety, but I think you can usually buy them at Whole Foods), use a handful of peppery greens such as watercress or arugula, and add some (maybe half a teaspoon, for this volume) of fresh wasabi for that little bit of heat.

Stuffed delicata squash

(one squash serves two)

You’ll need:

  • 1 delicata squash
  • 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
  • 2 t za’atar
  • 2 oz wasabi greens
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 2 T olive oil + 1 T olive oil
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/3 cup grated cheese (a mild, light mozzarella or a parmesan work well here)
  • a handful of panko breadcrumbs
  • salt, pepper

1. Preheat oven to 365F. Cut squash in half lengthwise, trim the ends, and scoop out the seeds. Season well with salt and pepper and rub with about 1 T of olive oil.

Roast for about 20-25 minutes until just becoming tender.

2. In the meantime, make the filling. Combine wasabi greens, za’atar, a good pinch of salt, lemon juice, 2 T olive oil, and chickpeas in the food processor. Grind or chop (do not puree), I like to leave some chunks of chickpeas in there.

3. Fold in the yogurt into the ‘hummus’-like mixture and taste for seasoning.

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4. Let roasted squash cool slightly to the touch. Layer grated or shredded cheese on the bottom of the scooped out squash, then fill generously with chickpea-greens mixture.

5. Sprinkle with panko and bake for about another 20 minutes until golden and fork-tender.

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