DELICATA SQUASH AND ARUGULA SALAD WITH PUMPKIN SEED OIL VINAIGRETTE

Please forget the globular, Halloween-y pumpkin for a moment, as I need to gush about my love for delicata squash: the squash with the edible skin. Tender, quick-cooking, and unquestionably good for you, delicata’s butternut-sweetness tangles itself with peppery arugula and holiday-ish crunchy bits for a main course or side salad that instantly refreshes after this time of year’s heavier fare. A nutty, evergreen pumpkin seed oil dressing makes this salad feel special.

Serves 2–3

1 (¾ pound) delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ½-inch half-moons

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon maple syrup

4 cups arugula

2 heaping tablespoons dried cranberries

2 heaping tablespoons chopped pecans

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss squash with olive oil. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown on bottoms. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin seed oil, grainy mustard, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Add roasted squash, arugula, cranberries, pecans, and salt; gently toss to combine. Serve.