“Pecan Pie” Acorn Squash

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Slice the squash in half lengthwise. Slice off a wee bit of the outside shell so the squash has a flat surface to stand on. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Brush the inside of each squash half with melted butter or olive oil. Place them cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.

Flip over the squash with tongs or a spatula and place 1/2 tablespoon of butter and about 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped pecans into the cavity of each squash half. Sprinkle with sea salt. Reduce oven to 350ºF and bake for about 15-25 minutes.

When squash is tender enough to easily fall away when scraped with a fork, remove from oven, drizzle a bit of maple syrup into each half (optional), and enjoy its heavenly goodness.