Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash — Apple Salad — The Fall Menu Win I Keep Coming Back To

Back to school madness has begun. Sofia needs everything — new notebooks, new shoes, the specific brand of mechanical pencil that apparently every senior in Hartford uses and without which you cannot be taken seriously as a student. I told her, When I went to school in Bayamon, I had one pencil and one notebook and I was grateful. She said, Mami, that was the eighties. I said, The eighties were not the Stone Age, Sofia. She looked at me like the eighties were, in fact, the Stone Age, and I decided to let it go because some battles are not worth fighting and this is not one of the hills I am willing to die on, unlike the canned beans hill, which I will defend until my last breath.

At the hospital, the September prep is in full swing. I have my team running inventory, checking equipment, reviewing the new seasonal menu I developed. Fall menu means hearty soups, more root vegetables, comfort food. I introduced a butternut squash soup last year that became the most popular item in the cafeteria, which I consider a personal victory because I had to convince the administration that hospital patients would eat squash soup, and they said patients want chicken fingers, and I said patients want to feel cared for and squash soup says I care about you in a way that chicken fingers never will. I won that argument. I win most arguments. This is not bragging. This is documentation.

Miguel Jr. called and said he is thinking about proposing to Jenny. PROPOSING. To the girl from Glastonbury with the potato salad and the careful tostones eating. My firstborn, twenty-six years old, wants to marry this woman. I said, Miguelito, are you sure? He said, Mami, I am sure. I said, Have you talked to your father? He said, Papi said go for it. Of course Eduardo said go for it. Eduardo said go for it to everything. Eduardo is the most agreeable man in Connecticut.

I am processing this information. Jenny is a nice girl. Jenny eats my food without complaint. Jenny brought brownies from a box and I survived it. Jenny has been coming to Sunday dinners for almost a year and she has not run away, which means she is either very brave or very in love, and maybe both. I will support my son. I will welcome Jenny. But I reserve the right to teach her how to make arroz con pollo before the wedding because I am not sending my son into a marriage where the rice comes from a box.

Made bistec encebollado tonight — thin steak smothered in onions and vinegar. Quick, simple, the kind of weeknight meal that Mami made when Papi was working late and there were seven hungry children and not enough hours. The onions caramelized in the vinegar and the kitchen smelled like everything I remember about being small and hungry and fed. Eduardo came home to that smell and smiled, which for Eduardo is equivalent to a standing ovation. My husband. My quiet, agreeable, smiling man. Twenty-eight years and counting.

The bistec encebollado I made tonight was Mami’s recipe and it belongs to her — quick, instinctive, not something I measure. But this butternut squash salad? This one I can give you. It came out of the same September energy, the same belief I argued for in that conference room: that fall food should make people feel held. It became the foundation for the soup that won the cafeteria, but on its own, roasted with apple and something a little sharp and sweet, it stands just fine. Eduardo ate two helpings without saying a word, which, as I have explained, is the highest possible praise.

Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 large firm apple (such as Honeycrisp or Fuji), cored and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 5 oz mixed hearty greens (arugula, kale, or frisee work well)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Season the squash. Toss butternut squash cubes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and smoked paprika until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Roast. Roast for 20 minutes, then add the apple chunks to the pan, toss gently, and return to the oven for another 5–7 minutes until the squash is tender and caramelized at the edges and the apple has softened slightly. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
4. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. Assemble. Arrange the greens on a large serving platter or in a wide bowl. Top with the warm roasted squash and apple. Scatter dried cranberries, toasted pepitas, and crumbled goat cheese over the top.
6. Dress and serve. Drizzle the dressing over everything just before serving. The warmth from the squash will gently wilt the greens, which is exactly what you want. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 280mg