Looking for an easy meatless dinner? This Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms and Quinoa is so flavorful and filling. Delicata is a quick-to-cook squash, so this makes a great weeknight meal!
I am a card-carrying member of the Delicata Squash Club. When I see piles of Delicata squash at the market, I head out.
This squash is so easy to roast – the sweet flesh hardly needs any embellishments because it’s so flavorful. The skin is also edible, so there is no need to peel it. After frying, you can use a fork to slice right through the skin!
For this recipe, I sliced the delicata lengthwise, scooped out the seeds, and toasted the halves whole. After roasting, I stuffed the roasted halves with red quinoa and sautéed mushrooms and drizzled over a light citrus yogurt sauce.
The timing works well: while the halves are frying, you can prepare the filling. You can even make the mushrooms and quinoa filling in the same pot—no other dishes to prepare.
Serve this stuffed squash with chicken or fish, or if vegetarians are at the table, offer them two halves for a main course. The bright orange flesh with the red grain feels like a celebration.
Stuffed delicata squash with quinoa and mushrooms
I use red quinoa for this recipe because I think the color pops with the orange of the squash, but substituting another type of quinoa is fine. The cooking times are the same.
If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms or they’re too expensive, it’s okay to substitute another type of mushroom.
ingredients
- For the sauce:
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1 cup plain yogurt
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2 teaspoons grated orange zest
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1 tablespoon of orange marmalade
- For the pumpkin:
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4 medium delicata squashes (about 3 1/2 pounds)
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon pepper
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon ground coriander
- For the filling:
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1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 tablespoon soy sauce
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1 teaspoon grated orange zest
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1 cup red quinoa
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2 cups of water
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
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olive oil for serving
method
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Make the orange yogurt sauce:
In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, orange zest, and orange marmalade; put aside.
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Prepare the Delicata Squash:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Halve each squash lengthways and remove the seeds with a spoon.
Place the squash on the baking sheet and brush the insides and cut surfaces with olive oil. Mix the salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the squash halves.
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Roast the Delicata Pumpkin Halves:
Place in the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the halves are tender when pierced with a fork and golden brown around the edges.
If the halves are not browned, slide them under the broiler for 1 minute, watching carefully to avoid burning.
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Cooking mushrooms:
In a small saucepan (which you will use later to cook the quinoa), heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the soy sauce and orange zest and stir well. Pour the shiitake into a bowl.
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Toasting and Cooking Quinoa:
Add the quinoa to the same pot you cooked the mushrooms in (no need to wash or add more oil). Toast over medium-high heat, shaking pan frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until quinoa begins to darken.
Pour in the water – stand back because it will splash – and immediately turn the heat to low. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.
If there is still water in the pan, uncover and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed.
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Assemble quinoa:
Fluff up the quinoa with a fork. Stir in the mushrooms, the liquid in the bowl, and 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you like.
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Fill and serve the squash:
Fill each delicata half with some quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with a little olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) and the remaining parsley. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the yoghurt sauce on top and serve everything else alongside
