Eggs on Sunday's Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with White Beans and Wilted Spinach with Basil

As I've noticed with many other foodies in the northern hemisphere, I've been re-discovering the extraordinary taste and versatility of winter squashes lately, along with their abundant nutritional benefits. While each of the typical varieties enjoyed in southwestern Ontario — butternut, acorn and pumpkin — have their own delights, I've yet to find anything to compare for flavour or ease of use than the long and slender pale yellow gourd striped with green known as the sweet potato or delicata squash. Easy to peel and seed, and with very little loose or stringy flesh to scoop out, the tender inside has a sweet potato bouquet that immediately welcomes the senses and an equally inviting mild and delicate sweet potato flavour.

This lovely recipe, adapted from Eggs on Sunday's always attractive and informative food site, will convince your guests that they're dining in gourmet style with surprisingly little effort on your own part.

Eggs on Sunday's roasted delicata squash stuffed with white beans and wilted spinach with basil

Squash:

2 delicata squashes, halved and seeded
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
olive oil for drizzling

Stuffing:

2/3 cup dried cannellini or other white beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 dried hot red chili
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
generous pinch dried thyme
1 small bunch fresh spinach or other greens, washed and dried
small handful fresh basil leaves, torn
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 thick slices fresh bread, broken into chunks
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse the dried beans under running water and soak overnight covered in several inches of water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. After soaking, drain the beans and add to a medium saucepan. Cover with several inches of fresh water and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the squash halves cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Bake in the oven until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife or fork, about 1 hour. Remove the squash halves from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the stuffing by heating a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl around to coat the pan. Toss in the dried chili, shallot and garlic, and sauté for half a minute until fragrant. Add the thyme and stir for a few seconds before adding the spinach or greens. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes to let the greens wilt. Toss in the torn basil leaves and stir to mix. Now add the beans and continue cooking the mixture for another couple of minutes until the beans are heated through. Discard the chili, and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 425°. Process the bread in a food processor for a few pulses until a coarse breadcrumb mixture has been formed. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with the Parmesan cheese. When the bean and green mixture has cooled slightly, stir in half of the breadcrumb mixture. Divide the stuffing between the cooked squash halves, mounding it in each.

Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb and cheese mixture over the top of the filled squash halves and drizzle some more olive oil over top. Bake the squash halves until the topping is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.

Serves 4.

Another idea for delicata squash you might enjoy:

Sweet potato squash soup with pinto beans and chard