| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 15 fresh sage leaves
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 large acorn squash
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup smoked almonds
Instructions
- For the fried sage leaves: Heat a small saucepan with 1 inch oil over medium-high heat. Test the oil by touching the tip of a sage leaf in the oil; if it bubbles, the oil is ready for frying. Fry the leaves, 3 to 4 at a time, until the bubbles subside and the leaves become crisp. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
- For the squash: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Using a chef’s knife, cut off a small amount off the top and bottom of each squash. Set the squash, cut-side down, and cut in half. Using a large spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut each half into 5 wedges and place them in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, cayenne, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss with your hands to coat well, then transfer the squash to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and fork tender, 35 minutes.
- Place the butter in a small skillet and melt over medium heat until the foam subsides and the solids begin to smell nutty and turn brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Allow the butter to cool for 2 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved, then whisk in the brown butter, using a rubber spatula to get all the brown bits out of the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lay the squash on a serving platter and spoon the vinaigrette over. Dollop with the mascarpone and sprinkle with the almonds and fried sage.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 595 |
| Total Fat | 55 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 26 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Sodium | 597 mg |
Reviews
I have made this recipe for 4 years now on thanksgiving! Such a hit, everyone loves it!
This was excellent! My family LOVED it and we will definitely make this again. I followed the recipe to a ‘T’ with the exception of adding the smoked almonds as we have a nut allergy. Again EXCELLENT!!!
This recipe was good, but was missing a sweetness. It had all the smokey and rich notes from butter, almonds and sage, but was missing something. I made this for Christmas and no one really liked it. It seemed to be a lot of work and components for very little impact. Usually I like her recipes.
I was looking for a new side dish for Thanksgiving so I tried this. First time making this and made it for the whole family. It was super easy and so delicious. I loved the sweetness from the mascarpone and the salty smokey crunch of the almonds. I’ll definitely make this again.
So creative and delightful—sweet and spicy and creamy and crunchy. Beautiful on the table, too.
Sinful. Very sweet. An elevated everyday vegetable side. I made it as is.
This is uniquely different. Slightly sweet and rich, nutty flavor, tender and curious. Its good, not fantastic….yet I keep eating it. ( I just made it ) The almonds definitely add to the dish. That smokey crunch the dish looks for. I didn’t make the sage leaves. I had them. Was being lazy, I guess. Made for me only. I would make this again. The mascarpone adds to the creamy richness. Its worth making and at least trying once. What do you have to lose?