Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas
Dark greens, sweet roasted butternut squash, spicy pepitas, dried cranberries and asiago, all drizzled with a maple vinaigrette! And you can serve this salad cool or warm with the squash right out of the oven.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
Roasted Spicy Pepitas:
- 1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ancho chile or chili powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
Butternut squash:
- 1 ½ lb butternut squash peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Salad:
- 1 head red leaf lettuce
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 3 oz Asiago cheese, shaved using a y peeler
- ½ cup Roasted spicy pepitas
- ⅓ cup Dried cranberries
Dressing:
- 1 med shallot minced, chopped
- 2 Tablespoon balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 Tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Make pepitas ahead:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in upper third of oven.
- Place all ingredients together in a bowl, toss and then spread on a cookie sheet. Bake, shaking pan once or twice, until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes.
Butternut Squash:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in upper third of oven. Drizzle prepared butternut squash with oil and real maple syrup and toss with salt and pepper. Place on cookie sheet covered with unbleached parchment paper. Roast for 40-50 minutes or until squash is soft and edges are brown. Allow to cool.
Dressing:
- In a small bowl combine all ingredients and whisk. Dress salad.
Salad:
- Tear lettuces into bite size pieces and place on a platter. Add spinach, cooled squash, spicy pumpkin seeds and toss with dressing. Plate and shave Asiago onto each helping. Serve.