This recipe is brought to you by a “Frisch Twist” – courtesy of local Chef Emma Frisch that is! We’ve teamed up with Emma to bring you a series of CSA cooking videos – ingredient introductions, simple how-tos, and lots of recipe ideas! Emma’s take on acorn squash is one of my favorite so far. Slices of squash are doused in hearty marinara, then baked, and coated with a crunchy topping.
You can pull this dish together with pantry staples, and you don’t need any fancy equipment! Emma showed us her trick for making breadcrumbs and crushing coriander seeds, and it’s fun & easy! Just watch the video to find out!
Breaded Lemon Coriander Acorn Squash with Marinara
2 Acorn Squash
1 3/4 cups marinara sauce
Olive oil
zest from 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 head garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon whole coriander seed
1/4 cup breadcrumbss
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425°F
Prepare the acorn squash. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds (reserve them for making roasted squash seeds). Lay the flat side of each half face-down on a cutting board, and slice against the natural lines.
Drizzle a baking dish generously with olive oil. Fan the slices over each other in the baking dish, then drizzle all over with olive oil.
Pour the sauce over the squash, using a spoon or brush to coat the squash completely. Scatter the peeled garlic over the top.
Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. There are two ways to know if the squash is done: it will be fork tender and it will radiate a vibrant, sunflower yellow color.
Make the topping. Toast the coriander seed in a dry pan until it begins to brown. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds, or, once cooled put the seeds in a Ziploc bag and crush them with the bottom of a glass or with a rolling pin. In a small bowl, combine the ground coriander, bread crumbs, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
Remove the squash from the oven and sprinkle the bread crumb mixture generously and evenly over the squash. Return the squash to the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 10 minutes longer.
*Gluten free variation – make your own breadcrumbs with gluten free bread or use ground almonds in place of the breadcrumbs
