Good to the last bite

I'm on a roll. Seriously. You should be here. Dinner is almost a spiritual event over here lately. This one scored 8/10, which is rather good for a vegetable. Even one slathered in butter and pecans!

Orange Pecan Acorn Squash Halves

What you need:

• 2 medium acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 3 Tbs butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbs lightly packed brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbs grated orange zest
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
  

How you do it:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place squash, cut-side-down, in a large shallow baking dish and fill with water to come ½ inch up the sides. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes.
3. Turn the squash cut-side-up and place in a clean baking dish. In a small bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest and juice; mix in the nuts. Divide the butter mixture evenly among the squash cavities.
4. Continue baking, uncovered, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes longer. Serve hot.