Three Cheese Italian Roast Acorn Squash

Since I have several friends that are vegetarians, I decided that at least once a month I’ll be featuring a veggie-friendly dish! I made this roast acorn squash for a friend on Thanksgiving and she really enjoyed it! I fine-tuned it a bit more and even I, the steak and bacon loving carnivore that I am, found it delicious! So whether you’re a die-hard vegetarian or just looking to eat a bit healthier, you’ll love this dish!

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Ingredients:

1 large acorn squash

2 Tbs olive oil, plus more for pan

¼ red onion, finely diced

2 medium vine tomatoes,  finely chopped

2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Coarse salt and cracked black pepper to taste

2 Tbs crumbled feta

2 Tbs mozzarella, torn into small chunks

2 Tbs grated Parmesan

Side note: You’ll want a VERY sharp serrated knife for this. Cutting through acorn squash can be a real pain in the ass if you don’t have the right knife!

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and rub olive oil in the bottom of a large baking pan or casserole dish.

Cut the ends off of the squash and cut into four rings. Remove seeds and stringy center. Arrange rings in baking dish, slightly overlapping each other, and set aside.

Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet and heat on a low-medium setting. Add chopped onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until starting to lightly brown.

Add tomatoes, basil, and garlic and stir together. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 more minutes.

Spoon tomato and onion mixture over the squash rings, cover with foil, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Remove from oven and change to broiler setting. Top with feta, mozzarella, and Parmesan and place back in the oven, uncovered for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese starts to bubble and turn golden brown.

Use a spatula to place squash rings and tomato mixture onto plates, serve hot, and eat around the rind.

Enjoy!