Warm Butternut Squash Salad

• 4 cups of butternut squash (peeled/seeded/large diced)
• 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• ½ cup of dried cranberries
• ½ cup of pecans (toasted and chopped slightly)
• ¼ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (grated or shaved)
• 1 cup of apples (cored and cut into small dice)
• 4 cups of fresh arugula
• Salt (to taste) (about 1 tablespoon)
• Black pepper (to taste) (about ½ teaspoon)

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For the apple cider vinaigrette:

• 1 cup of apple cider
• ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
• 2 small shallots (peeled and small diced)
• 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
• ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• The zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of fresh sage (chopped)

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. Peel, seed, and dice your butternut squash into a large dice and put it into a bowl, and toss the squash with about 1.5 teaspoons of salt, along with the olive oil, the ground cinnamon, the honey, and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper.
3. Once seasoned, place the squash onto a baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes until the squash is slightly browned and tender when eaten.
4. While the squash is roasting, prep the other ingredients by dicing the apples into small dice, peeling and dicing the shallots, grating or shaving the Parmiggiano-Reggiano, and picking and chopping the sage. Set all the ingredients aside.
5. Grab a baking sheet, place the pecans and roast them for 5 minutes, while the butternut squash continues to roast. After the 5 minutes, let them cool slightly and roughly chop them into pieces. Set aside.
6. When the squash is about 10 minutes from being done, place a small pot on the stove and heat over high heat for about 30 seconds. Add a splash of oil, followed by the shallots. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the shallots for about 1-2 minutes or until they are slightly golden and become translucent. Add a few pinches of salt.
7. Once the shallots are cooked, add both the apple cider and the apple cider vinegar and reduce the mixture, over medium heat, for about 8-10 minutes, or until there is about ½ cup of liquid remaining.
8. After the liquid is reduced, add the lemon zest, salt, black pepper, and fresh sage, and whisk to incorporate. Finish the dressing by slowly streaming in the olive oil while whisking to create an emulsion.
9. Once the squash is roasted, transfer them into a large bowl and add the warm vinaigrette. Add the apples, pecans, and dried cranberries, and toss everything together. Allow the squash to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
10. After 5 minutes, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and arugula and toss everything together to evenly distribute the vinaigrette and the rest of the ingredients.
11. Serve slightly warm and enjoy!

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Notes: Ingredient amounts do not have to be exact, so if you have an amount close to what we list when cutting your fruit/vegetables/herbs, go with that.