Twice Baked Squash with Fennel Seed & Pumpkin Seed Crisp
For this October, I wanted to come up with a recipe that would truly help us ground into fall, to get excited about the crisper air and cozier times ahead, to welcome nature’s more hushed and introspective season. I wanted this recipe to feel ceremonial and leisurely, something nice to make on a slow and quiet fall day, maybe with a candle lit in the kitchen and a hot drink by our side.
Winter squash is, of course, the superstar of autumn produce. I usually get pretty bluesy when I start noticing the first signs of fall, but seeing auburn and ochre piles of squash at the farmers market always helps me do away with those blues. Just like with every season, nature gives us exactly what we need in the fall. Winter squash is more dense and starchy than the water-rich produce of the summer (tomatoes, summer squashes, eggplant, melons), and it nourishes in a more warming and grounding way, helping us harmonize with the weather.
This twice baked squash recipe is based on the same principle as twice baked potatoes. We first roast the squash whole, until it becomes impossibly soft and collapses in shape. This yields beautiful, creamy and velvety squash flesh. We then scoop out the flesh, dress it up with some seasonings, and bake it again, until it’s golden and crispy on top. Try mixing and matching different types of winter squash, since they all vary in color, texture, sweetness, and general flavor. This might be my one of my favorite parts of the process - just the assortment of shades of yellow, orange, and red alone within the world of squash is pure color therapy.
To counterbalance the smooth texture of the squash, there’s fennel and pumpkin seed crisp. It’s such a flavor/texture bomb and so simple to make! Buttery, garlicky, savory, a little spicy - you might want to have it on everything going forward.
Twice Baked Squash with Fennel Seed & Pumpkin Seed Crisp
serves 4-6
about 4 lbs/1.8 kg winter squash, like acorn, butternut, honeynut, kabocha, delicata, kuri (try combining different kinds)
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Miyoko’s) or olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
pinch chili flakes, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet. Put the squash on the baking sheet and roast for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the squash is completely soft throughout when pierced with a fork or knife and has collapsed in shape. Let cool a bit.
Increase the oven temperature to 425° F (220° C). Once the squash has cooled down enough to handle, cut it in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Scoop the flesh out of the skin into a 10”-12” cast iron skillet. Add the butter/oil, maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash the squash using a potato masher, working the other ingredients in as you go. Spread out the squash into an even layer, making some peaks and valleys on the surface with your spoon. Roast for 40-45 more minutes, until the squash is browned and crisped up in places, and has pulled away from the sides of the skillet.
Meanwhile, make the crisp. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil and let it heat up. Add the garlic, pumpkin seeds, and fennel seeds. The oil should be shimmering at this point. Let cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the pumpkin seeds are plump, the fennel is fragrant, and the garlic is lightly golden. Turn off the heat, add the chili flakes and a pinch of salt.
Drizzle the squash with the fennel and pumpkin seed crisp and serve right away.
Note
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a baking dish or even a pie dish for the squash. Since most baking dishes are smaller than a 10”-12” cast iron, you might want to decrease the amount of squash you use, or bake it longer for the top to crisp up and brown nicely.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
If you have access to a farmers market or local farm stand near you, try sourcing your winter squash there. You will likely be met by a stunning variety of local squashes that will taste amazing, since they’re freshly picked and didn’t have to travel far to get to you. And you’ll be supporting your neighboring farms in the process. Visiting farmers markets is so good for developing a cooking intuition, since you’ll be seeing what foods grow near you at what times, which will help you gain deeper knowledge of the seasons and endless inspiration. If not, store-bought squash will still be delicious!
Any time you need some soft, roasted squash for making mash, for baking, etc., you can roast it up whole, just like in this recipe. No need to peel and cut before roasting.
The fennel and pumpkin seed crisp is so versatile! Serve it on anything that can use some crunch and a punch of flavor, like other roasted vegetables, salads, grain bowls, avocado toast, mashed potatoes, etc. The whole concept can go very far as well. Replace the fennel seeds with other whole spices, like cumin or mustard seeds. Same goes for the pumpkin seeds - try subbing in or adding sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or even chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc.