Halves of roasted honeynut squash are topped with a creamy vegan ricotta and a crunchy and tangy apple fennel slaw. The dish is finished with a drizzle of maple syrup to lend a smoky sweetness that ties all of the elements together. This recipe is vegan and gluten free and perfect for the fall and winter season!
I LOVE winter squashes and pumpkins. They’re by far my favorite thing to photograph, eat, and surround myself with this time of year. I was recently going through my blog archives and realized a shocking thing: my love of winter squashes isn’t represented enough here on the blog! I mean sure, there are plenty of pumpkin recipes scattered throughout the archives over the past decade but not nearly to the density of a self-professed pumpkin lover. So, I have decided to put an end to this travesty this fall and winter.
Get ready for all sorts of winter squash-y recipes from pumpkins to butternuts to these cute little honeynuts! If there’s a winter squash you want to see represented in a recipe, simply drop it for me down in the comments!
What Exactly is a Honeynut Squash?
While you’ve probably heard of a butternut squash it may be less likely that you’re familiar with the very cute honeynut squash. Honeynuts are a cross between a butternut and a buttercup squash. They’re small in stature, usually about the size of your hand, and while they have the same shape as a butternut, the skin is a darker orange or tan color. The flesh is a deeper orange than a butternut and sweeter, hence the name “honeynut”. The great thing about honeynuts is that they have a thin, edible skin so you don’t have to worry about peeling them!
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Vegan and Gluten Free Recipe
Each roasted squash half is topped with a heavy dollop of vegan ricotta, a tangy apple fennel slaw, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Honeynut Squashes! The roasted halves of these squashes are the base of this dish. If you can’t find them, you can easily sub in butternut squash.
- The usual suspects: olive oil for roasting the squash halves and salt and pepper for seasoning and balancing flavors.
- A Bulb of Fennel: it’s anise-y flavor and crunchy texture pair really well with the apples in the slaw.
- Apple: crisp sweet-tart apples make the dish feel like fall. And, they pair really well with the fennel in the slaw component.
- Lemon Juice: it brightens up the slaw and keeps the thinly sliced apples and fennel from oxidizing and turning brown.
- Parsley: lends an herbal flavor to the slaw and adds visual interest.
- Fennel Fronds: this optional add-in gives more herbal and anise-y flavor to the slaw.
- Vegan Ricotta: adds a creamy, savory component and helps to temper the sweetness of the squashes and apples. If you’d like to make your own vegan ricotta, try my macadamia ricotta!
- Maple Syrup: the tiniest drizzle helps to finish the dish and draw all of the flavors together into an autumnal symphony.
Other Recipes for My Fellow Winter Squash & Pumpkin Lovers
Want a cozy soup situation? Try my butternut bisque with homemade rosemary croutons or my velvety acorn squash tomato soup with thyme and rosemary.
Want something sweet with an unexpected kick? Try these pumpkin cookies with a whiskey vanilla glaze.
If you’re a die hard pumpkin bread fan, try this butternut bread with pecan streusel!
Roasted Honeynut Squash with Apple Fennel Slaw and Vegan Ricotta
- Total Time: 40-45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Halves of roasted honeynut squash are topped with a creamy vegan ricotta and a crunchy and tangy apple fennel slaw. The dish is finished with a drizzle of maple syrup to lend a smoky sweetness that ties all of the elements together. This recipe is vegan and gluten free and perfect for the fall and winter season!
Ingredients
- 2 honeynut squashes (see below for substitutions)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- half of a bulb of fennel
- half of a large apple (I like a sweet-tart variety here like a Cripps Pink!)
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp minced fennel fronds, optional
- 1/2 cup of vegan ricotta
- 4 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Clean your squashes well since you’ll be eating the skin in addition to the flesh. Carefully remove the stem from each squash , then slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Place each squash half cut-side up then drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the squashes until they are fork-tender, about 25-30 minutes.
While the squashes are roasting, make the slaw. Using a very sharp knife or a mandolin, cut the fennel bulb and apple into very thin slices. Stack the slices and cut them into matchsticks. Add your matchsticks to a bowl and immediately toss with the lemon juice. Add the minced parsley and the minced fennel frond if you’re using it along with a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then set the slaw aside until the squashes are ready.
Once the squashes have roasted, allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes. When you’re ready to plate and serve the dish, dollop 2 tablespoons of the vegan ricotta onto each squash half. Add a tangle of the slaw on top of the ricotta, making sure to divide it evenly between the four squash halves. Finish each squash with a small drizzle of maple syrup, about 1 teaspoon per squash half.
Serve and enjoy immediately!
This dish is best enjoyed the day it’s made. If you want to have leftovers, store all of the components separately in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble. Enjoy it chilled, warm, or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you can’t find honeynuts, you’ll use just 1 standard butternut squash. You’ll prepare it in the same way listed in the recipe but you’ll have to roast it for longer, about 35-40 minutes. Once it is roasted, you’ll cut each half in half again so that you have four servings that are of similar size to the honeynut squash halves.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: side
