Lightly caramelized slices of roasted squash make a tasty and pretty salad, dressed up with toasted almonds, crumbled cheese, and glistening swirls of Reduced Balsamic Vinegar (recipe follows), one of my favorite condiments. Serve this as an antipasto, a first course, or a side dish. With roast meat or poultry, it can be a main course salad too. How about a Thanksgiving leftover salad of roast squash and my roast turkey (page 332) with balsamic reduction and Quince Chutney (page 368)? Any sweet-fleshed winter squash is suitable, but I find the scalloped edges of acorn squash slices look especially nice.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

　　

For Baking the Squash

3 pounds acorn squash (1 large or 2 small ones)

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　

For Dressing

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/8 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

　　1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted in the oven or on a dry skillet

　　1 tablespoon or so Reduced Balsamic Vinegar (recipe follows), thickened for drizzling

　　2 tablespoons or more crumbled cheese (optional), such as aged goat cheese, drained fresh ricotta, cottage cheese, or ricotta salata

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°. (As soon as it’s hot, you can toast the slivered almonds for garnishing the salad: spread them on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, shaking them up once or twice, until lightly colored and fragrant. Or toast them while the squash is roasting, or after.)

　　

Step 2

To prepare acorn squash: With a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, strip off the peel from the protruding ridges of the squash. You don’t need to peel more than this: leaving the rest of the peel will help the squash to retain its shape and looks nice too. (If you are roasting a smooth squash like butternut, remove all the peel.)

　　

Step 3

With a sharp heavy knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out all the seeds and fibers. Place each half cut side down; trim the ends, then cut semicircular slices of squash, all about 1 inch thick.

　　

Step 4

Put all the pieces in a pile on a large baking sheet, preferably nonstick or lined with parchment, or on a non-stick silicone baking mat. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons oil over the squash, sprinkle on the salt, and toss to coat with the seasonings, then spread the pieces out to lie flat, not touching.

　　

Step 5

Bake about 20 minutes, then flip the pieces over. Bake another 15 minutes or so, until the squash is just tender all the way through (poke with a fork to check) and nicely caramelized on the edges.

　　

Assembling the Salad

Step 6

Let the squash pieces cool on the pan until you’re ready to serve. Arrange them—in a symmetrical design or in a casual pile—on a large serving platter or on individual salad plates, with two or three slices per portion.

　　

Step 7

Refresh them with drizzles of olive oil, sprinkles of salt. Scatter the almond slivers over, and then streaks or swirls of warm balsamic reduction. Finally, crumble bits of cheese all over.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 397.3 calories

　　213.8 calories from fat

　　23.75 g total fat

　　3.05 g saturated fat

　　0.0 mg cholesterol

　　114.58 mg sodium

　　42.02 g total carbs

　　35 g dietary fiber

　　6.15 g sugars

　　24.6 g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines.From the Trade Paperback edition.