Delicata Squash

Roasting the pancetta in one large piece renders out most of the fat, making it easy to dice into perfect 1/4" pieces.

If using large mustard greens, remove the tough stems and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Smaller leaves can be left whole.

This stew calls for water instead of stock to be added. The pork shoulder will create a rich cooking liquid on its own.

November weeknights are for simple pan-seared pork chops and roasted squash.

Browned edges mean great flavor for this side. If the squash hasn't browned, roast it a little longer.

A sformato is essentially a soufflé that doesn't rise because there isn't any air or egg white whipped into it—foolproof! I serve it in place of mashed potatoes, since it has a great flavor without an excess of butter and cream. If I have people over, I'll bake it in individual gratin dishes with a few fresh thyme leaves on top for presentation's sake. Delicata squash has a flavor similar to that of butternut, but the skin is much thinner—edible, in most cases—and the squash is more delicate overall (hence the name). The flesh of a butternut or acorn squash would be a fine substitute. Cooking with squash in the fall and early winter months will yield the best results with this recipe. I find that out of season the squash become a bit waterlogged. You can do everything but bake the sformato in advance. Bring the dish to room temperature before baking.

Thanksgiving flavors (squash, cinnamon, butter) with a Persian-inspired touch. The spiced butter is also a treat mixed into couscous.

Use this toasted-hazelnut vinaigrette on any fall salad.

I see no reason why salads should be limited to greens. This one has a ton of different textures and flavors and is as visually rewarding as it is delicious. Vermont is famous for its fall color, so when I thought of this dish, I wanted all the components to come together on a platter in the same way that autumn leaves fall together in a collage of color on the forest floor. There are bits of roasted squash, blanched squash, pickled squash, and even toasted squash seeds. While I don't like dishes that are so fussy and manipulated they look less like food and more like art, I can't deny that we eat first with our eyes.

This nutrient-dense salad capitalizes on fall and winter’s best produce, while delivering ample health benefits. The squash and cranberry beans (also called borlotti or Roman beans) provide fiber, which helps lower cholesterol; the kale prompts the liver to release enzymes that may fight cancer. Other types of winter squash, such as butternut or acorn, would also work in this recipe, as would cannellini or navy beans.

This autumnal salad is a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors, thanks to the scalloped half-moons of squash, wispy leaves of baby arugula, and shiny red jewels of pomegranate seeds. It’s as visually pleasing as it is delicious. Boasting both tender greens and roasted potatoes, this dish is sort of a half salad, half starchy side dish. As such, you can serve it alone as an entrée or in smaller portions as an accompaniment. You can roast the potatoes and squash and make the dressing well ahead of time, then assemble at the last minute.

In this fabulous early-winter side, roasted delicata is caramelized in the oven and accented with the assertive flavor of dark amber chestnut honey. Delicata is a striped, hard-shelled heirloom squash that trades flavor for transportability. Unlike butternut or kabocha, delicata can be cooked and eaten with the peel intact. You can substitute other types of winter squash in this recipe, just make sure you peel them first and vary the cooking time accordingly.

Toasted pecans and browned butter give these delicate crepes a deep nuttiness. Delicata are small squash and I usually plan on one per person plus one extra when I serve them. This is a nice dish for dinner parties because the components can be made ahead of time and assembled right before dinner.

An appetizing preparation, this will invigorate the winter-worn palate.

A sweet-and-salty glaze gives this squash dish a pleasant Asian spin.

An elegant starter or side.

Of all the rich and succulent winter squash varieties, delicata, with its long and uniformly narrow shape, is the easiest to work with. And its thin, pale-golden skin with green striations is more than just pretty — it's edible, too.

This is my favorite way to cook winter squash. You peel, and slice it, then cook it in a skillet with cider and winter herbs. When most of the liquid boils away, the cider forms a tart-sweet glaze around the now-tender squash. Delicata is a wonderfully firm-textured squash that's not too sweet and almost like a potato. Other varieties like acorn, turban, or kabocha will make good substitutes, but they may not hold their shape quite as well through the braising.

The ideal sick-day soup, with a cozy broth and tiny pasta.