Roasted Acorn Squash with Burrata & Herbed Ciabatta Croutons

a festive dish perfect for entertaining: roasted acorn squash with burrata cheese, fresh ciabatta croutons, herb oil, and pomegranate seeds serves: 8

📝 Ingredients

• 4 acorn squash, halved and seeded (save the seeds)
• olive oil, as needed
• kosher salt, as needed
• 1/2 cup squash seeds
• 1 fresh loaf ciabatta bread, cubed 1/2”
• 2 tsp chopped rosemary
• 2 tsp chopped oregano
• 2 tsp chopped sage
• 2 balls burrata cheese
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 375F. Take the halved acorn squash and carefully trim a slice off the bottom of each so that they lay flat. Place the squash flesh-side down onto a sheet pan. Coat all sides of each squash with a generous amount of olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt.
2. 2Roast for 40 minutes. Raise the heat to 425F. Continue to roast for another 10 minutes, or until caramelized and tender.
3. 3Meanwhile, remove all the squash bits from the squash seeds. Rinse the seeds under running water and dry very well. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the seeds to the dry skillet. Toast until golden brown, about 6 minutes, stirring often.
4. 4Transfer the seeds to a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Set aside.
5. 5To the same skillet, add enough olive oil to come up the sides about a ¼ of an inch. Heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cubed bread. Toast until golden brown, stirring often.
6. 6Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bread to a large bowl. Immediately toss with 1 tsp of each the rosemary, oregano, and sage, as well as a generous pinch of salt.
7. 7Transfer the remaining herbs to a small bowl, cover in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and reserve as a garnish. To Assemble
8. 8When the squash is done roasting, flip each half over onto a platter so that the flesh side is facing up.
9. 9Break the burrata cheese over top. Season the cheese with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
10. 10Garnish with the toasted squash seeds, ciabatta croutons, herb oil, and pomegranate seeds.