Some months ago, as the local farmer’s market was winding down and autumn vegetables were abundant, we got quite a few acorn squash which have been waiting patiently in my cold cellar for their moment to shine. The weather has not cooperated, but it got very cold this week!
Start your ovens kind of weather!
Eat comfort foods kind of weather!
Well, Little Acorn Squash, your moment arrived! I saw this recipe and here is my take on it:
Stuffed Acorn Squash
- 2 Acorn Squash, cut in half and cleaned
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ cup Farro
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup green pepper, diced
- 4 ounces Fontinella cheese, grated
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ½ – 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
- 1 tsp fresh sage, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
Cut the acorn squash in half and remove the ‘guts’ and seeds. Place cut side down in a baking dish and pour in about 2 cups of water. Place dish in oven and cook the squash for 45-55 minutes until the squash is tender and a knife easily enters.
While the squash is roasting, combine ½ cup farro with 2 cups of water and ½ tsp salt and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn down to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Drain well and place the farro in a large mixing bowl.
Heat large saute pan on med-high with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add onion and saute until soft. Add red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Once onions are soft, add green pepper and cook for a minute. Add in pork and brown. When the pork is browned, add the fresh herbs and toss to cook briefly. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl with the cooked farro. Stir to combine.
Grate the cheese.
Once the mixture has cooled a bit, add in ¾ – 1 cup of grated cheese. Reserving some to sprinkle on top when served.
Once squash is cooked, remove from oven and take out of the dish with the water in it. Place in a dish, cut side up. Sprinkle flesh with salt and pepper.
Fill the center of each squash with the meat mixture. It is okay to mound it a bit. Once the squash are filled, drizzle each with a bit of olive oil on top, cover with aluminum foil and place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the meat mixture is warm and bubbly.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with a bit of cheese and serve.
I served it with Jack-O Traveler and the combination was excellent. You could easily do this with more farro and less meat – or totally meatless, if you wanted!
The perfect meal for a cold winter’s day!
Enjoy!
That sounds really good! I’ve never used farro but I imagine this would work well with rice although it wouldn’t be as healthy.