Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash & Ricotta Salad

Parents: Pat yourselves on the back. You made it through Halloween. {Maybe you ate an entire bag of mini candy bars to do it, but shhh… no one has to know.}

Last year, Cole was just under 1 year old and I was in the middle of planning his first birthday bash, so we didn’t attend too many Halloween festivities. But this year, I felt like we needed to dive in and let him experience some of the costumed craziness. He dressed up as a firefighter {because he’s been obsessed with them ever since his grandparents took him to the fire station. And because my mom did me the favor of buying a costume and a delivering it to my door}. We did Halloween events, story times and, of course, traditional trick-or-treating. All in all, there were minimal meltdowns {on his part, anyway} and he seemed to get the hang of things quickly and enjoy himself.

Since we don’t let Cole eat candy just yet, we now have a stash of Halloween candy beckoning to be eaten. Ugh. To be honest, I don’t have a hard time saying “no” to most candy… but chocolate is a different story!

Now that November has officially begun, it’s time to buckle down on wiser options during the week because — ready or not! —  the holidays are on their way, and so are all of the {delicious} calories that come with them! There will be loads of tempting goodies all around us soon enough, so I’m trying to get as many veggies in as possible before the majority of the offerings on the table come encrusted in buttery pastry.

However, I’m not against compromise, and I think this salad is a good example of how you can squeeze a little decadence into something that’s mostly healthy. You might even be able to get away with making it a part of your holiday spread.

Spicy arugula and maple-roasted acorn squash give this salad veggie-power, while spoonfuls of creamy ricotta cheese add richness. Toasted pine nuts lend some crunch and texture, and a drizzle of sweet and tangy vinaigrette ties it all together!

Take it easy on the fun-size goodies this week and dig into this salad instead. Just think of it as saving room for pie early. 😉

Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash & Ricotta Salad

Spicy arugula and maple-roasted acorn squash give this salad veggie-power, while spoonfuls of creamy ricotta cheese add richness. Toasted pine nuts lend some crunch and texture, and a drizzle of sweet and tangy vinaigrette ties it all together!

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Course Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 1 salad

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• 1 medium acorn squash halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 {7 oz.} bag arugula
• ½ to ¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese

For Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions 

Roast acorn squash:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. Brush the inside of the acorn squash with olive oil. Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes or until tender. {Insert a knife to check.} Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, slice into 1 inch thick pieces.
• Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned in spots. Set aside.

Prepare Vinaigrette:

• In a small bowl or shaker, combine olive oil, maple syrup, cider vinegar and ap inch of salt and pepper and whisk {or shake} to combine.

Arrange Salad:

• On a serving platter, place arugula on the bottom as the base for your salad. Top with slices of roasted squash and spoonfuls of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle pine nuts over top. Drizzle with vinaigrette and extra salt and pepper to taste, if desired.