Acorn Squash and Roasted Garlic Strudel

This recipe takes a little while to put together but... it's delicious, it's vegetarian, it makes three strudels (which can easily translate into three meals), and it's easy to reheat and serve again. 

Acorn Squash and Roasted Garlic Strudel

Ingredients

1 head garlic, roasted (see below for directions)
2 small acorn squash
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup pinenuts, toasted
1/2 package (about 30 sheets) of frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Split the acorn squash in half, scoop out the strings and seeds, and put the halves in a glass baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper, then either bake in a 350°F oven for about 50 minutes, or in a microwave for about 20 minutes, until the flesh is very soft and can be removed from the skin with a fork.

Scrape the acorn squash out of its skin and mash very well with a fork. Squeeze the garlic out of out of the cloves and mash with a fork. Put the garlic in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the sage leaves. Fry until fragrant, then add the acorn squash and cook until squash is warmed through. Set aside until slightly cooled.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked squash and garlic with the nutmeg, ricotta, and pinenuts. Stir well and taste. Add more salt and pepper if it needs it.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Melt the butter in a small bowl and add the olive oil. On a large piece of wax paper, lay out your first sheet of phyllo dough. Brush it with the butter, then stack another sheet on top. Repeat until you have about 10 layers. (You can use less than this; I just like to make mine a little thicker.) Spread about a third of the squash mixture over the sheet of phyllo, leaving an inch of room at the edges, then roll up from the long side, tucking the ends in. Pick up the wax paper and carefully roll the strudel off the paper and on to a large baking sheet.

Repeat to make two more strudels. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy. Cut into slice and serve right away. Or, if these have to wait a little, you can recrisp them in the oven at 400°F.

Roasting Garlic - Directions

What You Need

Ingredients
1 or more heads of garlic
Olive oil

Equipment
Knife
Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F: Set a rack in the middle position.
2. Peel (most of) the paper off the garlic: Use your fingers to peel away all the loose, papery, outer layers around the head of garlic. Leave the head itself intact with all the cloves connected.
3. Trim the top off the head of garlic: Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the head of garlic to expose the tops of the garlic cloves.
4. Drizzle with olive oil: Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic, letting the oil sink down into the cloves.
5. Wrap in foil and bake: Wrap the garlic aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
6. Begin checking the garlic: After 40 minutes, begin checking the garlic. The garlic is done when a center clove is completely soft when pierced with a paring knife. Even once soft, you can continue roasting until deeply golden for a more caramelized flavor — check the garlic every 10 minutes. Exact roasting time will depend on the size of your garlic, the variety, and its age.
7. Use or store the garlic: Let the garlic cool slightly, and then serve. Press on the bottom of a clove to push it out of its paper. Roasted garlic can also be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

• Speedy Roasted Garlic Trick: While less visually stunning, separating the head of garlic into individual cloves will make the cloves roast more quickly. Leave the cloves intact and covered with their paper skin, toss with olive oil, and roast in a foil packet until soft.

Original link:

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-acorn-sq-15793

Garlic link - http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-garlic-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-5341