The history of my recipe for Roasted Red Kuri squash with Fennel and Onion: We stopped in at Whole Foods earlier this week, which is never a good thing for my wallet. I knew I was done for when we walked around a beautiful display of organic winter squash. There were several varieties that were new to me. After circling the display two or three times, I finally settled on red kuri squash. I heard it had a taste similar to chestnuts, so I thought it might be just the thing to roast with fennel and red onion.
Red kuri squash offers a wealth of nutritional benefits. It’s high in fiber, and it’s a good source of vitamin A, and C, some B vitamins, plus calcium, iron, and potassium. Most importantly, red kuri squash contains beta-carotene, a pigment (carotenoid) found in yellow/orange fruits that helps prevent some cancers. Read more about the nutritional benefits of red kuri squash.
The skin on the squash is tough and a bit hard to cut, so I cut the squash in half and then sliced the two halves. The inside is packed with seeds like a pumpkin. You’ll need to scoop out the seeds before you slice it. I cut both a fennel and red onion in quarters, then tossed all three ingredients with about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. I like large, coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper—it’s a simple seasoning, but it’s perfect when it’s married with olive oil and the roasted vegetables.
The roasted red kuri squash has a flavor similar to pumpkin but its taste is rich, nutty, and slightly sweet. I imagine it would be a great substitute in any recipe that calls for pumpkin, including pumpkin pie. In fact, it might be better in pie than fresh pumpkin, which is hard to imagine. I, for one, would like to try red kuri squash in a nice coconut curry or in a filling for a home-made ravioli. The red kuri squash, I think, just might be the king of winter squash.
Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Fennel and Onion Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole red kuri squash
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 large red onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- coarse sea salt
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cut squash in half; scoop out and discard seeds. Slice each half in two or three pieces. Slice fennel and red onion in quarters.
- Arrange sliced vegetables on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake until squash is slightly caramelized and tender when pierced with a fork, about 25-30 minutes.
Notes
That roasted veg combination would make us both happy. Is there anything better than sweet roasted vegetables? I think not.