Roasted Acorn Squash & Pear Quinoa Salad

Roasted Acorn Squash & Pear Quinoa Salad! Spiced acorn squash is roasted alongside pears and then joined by chewy dried cranberries, crunchy toasted pecans and tart goat cheese, all tossed together with fresh arugula and nutrient-rich quinoa and drizzled with a vanilla-scented vinaigrette.

Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with OXO. I was sent products for use in this post. As always, all opinions here are my own.

We’re at a funny place in the year: Our hearts are filled with holiday spirit, but our guts are waving the white flag asking for a breather. We have the energy to deck the halls, but lack the initiative to dish out nightly dinners that require anything more than opening a package and pushing some buttons on the microwave. Things are revving up and winding down all at once.

How do you meet all the demands?

Sheet pan cooking! Wait… what?

All-in-one sheet pan recipes have gained popularity in the past year thanks to their ability to make both cooking and cleanup a cinch. Roast vegetables and proteins all on one pan for a complete breakfast, lunch or dinner? Yes, please! It’s the ultimate solution for a weary cook with a growling stomach.

My innovative friends at OXO completely understand our dilemmas and have all the tools you need to make cooking a breeze, year-round! Whether you’re roasting a turkey or cut of meat for a crowd, infusing your meals with a burst of flavor, or simplifying the way you make holiday essentials, they have pretty much thought of it all.

One of my absolute favorite OXO products is their versatile Non-Stick Pro Half Sheet Jelly Roll Pan {which you probably already know if you follow me on Instagram because I can’t help myself from singing their praises every chance I get!}. I love everything about them — the non-stick quality, durability and microtextured pattern that helps with airflow. They’re perfect whether you’re baking cookies, roasting potatoes or even cooking fish and meats.

This time of year, you may think of sheet pans purely as cookie-baking tools, but I’m here to tell you that you can also count on them as helpers in making healthful meals, too! Case in point: Roasted Acorn Squash & Pear Salad.

If you’re seeking the flavors of the season without the sluggishness that usually come with them, then this salad is just the ticket.

Spiced acorn squash is roasted alongside pears and then joined by chewy dried cranberries, crunchy toasted pecans and tart goat cheese, all tossed together with fresh arugula and nutrient-rich quinoa and drizzled with a vanilla-scented vinaigrette.

If that’s not a winning combo, I don’t know what is. The best part is that you can make quinoa to add to the mix simultaneously without any extra cleanup. I experimented to make sure this would work and guess what? This may be my new favorite way to make quinoa. It’s a game changer!

This comes together so easily that it makes a great weekday meal, but it’s so pretty that it can also double as a healthier holiday side dish. Don’t you just love multi-purpose meals?

It’s a salad that tastes like the holidays but will make you feel like a million bucks.

So will the minimal cleanup… is there a better gift this holiday season??? Maybe an extra OXO pan or two! 😉 You can bet I’ll be adding a few of those to my Christmas list and this recipe to our weekly menu!

Roasted Acorn Squash & Pear Quinoa Salad

Roast vegetables and proteins all on one pan for a complete breakfast, lunch or dinner? Yes, please! It’s the ultimate solution for a weary cook with a growling stomach.

Rate Recipe

Pin Recipe

Course Lunch, Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 ½ cups boiling water
• 1 medium acorn squash sliced into about 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 Bosc pear cut into 8 wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup chopped pecans walnuts or slivered almonds
• ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 cup arugula

For Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375. Place a piece of parchment or foil on your sheet pan. Line a small baking dish or pan with foil — make sure it covers the whole thing and extends over the edges.

For Quinoa:

• Place the uncooked quinoa into the lined baking dish and pour boiling water over top, mixing it slightly. Tightly cover with another piece of foil.
• Place squash and pear pieces on the prepared sheet pan and liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper, cinnamon and ground ginger.
• Situate both the sheet pan and the covered baking dish in the oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the squash is tender and the quinoa is fully cooked. {If desired, you can toss the cranberries and chopped pecans over the squash and pears in the last 3-4 minutes of cooking to warm them through and give them a toasty flavor.}

Make the vinaigrette

• Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by whisking together the oil, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Set aside until ready to use.
• Remove sheet pan and baking dish from oven. Use a fork to fluff up the quinoa. {Be careful when you uncover as the steam it will release can burn.}
• You can toss all the elements together or serve the roasted squash and pears atop a mound of quinoa with arugula on the side if desired.
• Drizzle with vinaigrette and enjoy.