Kale and Wild Rice–Stuffed Winter Squash

Ingeredients:

Extra virgin olive oil
2 acorn squash, cut in half and seeded
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup wild rice
1 shallot, chopped fine
6 Tuscan kale leaves, ribs removed and leaves chopped fine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Zest of 1 lemon
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Rub a bit of oil inside the squash and season with salt and pepper. Place the acorn squash cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, 1 3/4 cups of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
Swirl a bit of oil in a medium skillet and heat it over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the kale and sauté just until the leaves begin to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked rice, Dijon, and lemon zest and stir to mix well. Cook for 2 minutes more, adding some oil if the rice seems too dry. Stir in the parsley, walnuts, and Pecorino Romano.
Remove the squash from the oven. Spoon the rice filling into each half and serve hot.

Recipe Card

Kale and Wild Rice–Stuffed Winter Squash

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 acorn squash cut in half and seeded
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 1 shallot chopped fine
  • 6 Tuscan kale leaves ribs removed and leaves chopped fine
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped
  • 1/4 cup toasted walnuts chopped
  • 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  • Rub a bit of oil inside the squash and season with salt and pepper. Place the acorn squash cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, 1 3/4 cups of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
  • Swirl a bit of oil in a medium skillet and heat it over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the kale and sauté just until the leaves begin to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked rice, Dijon, and lemon zest and stir to mix well. Cook for 2 minutes more, adding some oil if the rice seems too dry. Stir in the parsley, walnuts, and Pecorino Romano.
  • Remove the squash from the oven. Spoon the rice filling into each half and serve hot.
Keyword Kale and Wild Rice–Stuffed Winter Squash
  • Grandma’s 3 Ingredient Easter Treat: A Bite of Holiday Magic

    Grandma’s 3 Ingredient Easter Treat: A Bite of Holiday Magic

    There are some recipes that are more than just instructions on a page. They’re memories. They’re love. They’re the taste of childhood, the smell of Grandma’s kitchen, the warmth of holidays past wrapped up in a single, perfect bite. Grandma’s 3-Ingredient Easter Treat is exactly that kind of recipe. I still remember walking into my…


  • Candied Kielbasa Bites: The Sweet, Savory, Irresistible Party Appetizer

    Candied Kielbasa Bites: The Sweet, Savory, Irresistible Party Appetizer

    There are some appetizers that simply don’t last. You set them out at a party, and within minutes, people are gathered around, reaching for just one more, asking, “What’s in these?” Candied Kielbasa Bites are exactly that kind of appetizer. I first encountered these little bites of heaven at a holiday party years ago. A…


  • Southern Green Beans with Potatoes and Bacon: The Ultimate Comfort Side Dish

    Southern Green Beans with Potatoes and Bacon: The Ultimate Comfort Side Dish

    There are some side dishes that have the power to steal the show. Southern Green Beans with Potatoes and Bacon is one of them. It’s the dish that appears at holiday dinners, Sunday suppers, and family gatherings across the South—and it’s always, always the first thing to disappear. I grew up eating green beans like…


Leave a Comment

Rate This Recipe!