The warm aroma of cinnamon and tantalizing undertones of sautéed garlic perfumed the first floor of my house for hours after cooking this dish. Its sweet and spicy flavor combination takes its inspiration from Moroccan cuisine, which often marries ingredients that Western home cooks tend to separate into a “savory” and “dessert” dichotomy. Squash itself blurs that boundary, its rich-tasting flesh equally suited to curries and pies. (A pumpkin, after all, is a type of squash, as are zucchini and cucumbers.)

Many squashes look intimidating and tough to cook: there is something almost reptilian about their thick, nubbly skins. The Delicata squash, a yellow cylinder with dark green stripes, may at first glance appear to be one of these, but in fact is one of the easiest squashes to cook: it doesn’t need to be peeled at all, and you can eat the skin. Its flesh is as sweet and rich as the butternut’s.

Delicata slice up easily, but hacking through a butternut can be a challenge, especially if your knife isn’t very sharp. Cut off a short end first so you can balance the butternut on a flat surface before slicing through it the long way, then place each half face down flat before cutting them into slices and, finally, chunks.

Couscous with Maple-Glazed Squash, Raisins and Almonds

2 lb. peeled butternut or unpeeled Delicata squash, seeded and chopped into 1-in. chunks
Olive oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup (honey works, too)
1 cup dry instant couscous, preferably whole wheat
1 ½ cups chicken broth or water
1 small onion, chopped into ½-in. dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper or dried red pepper flakes
Juice of half a lemon
½ cup dried fruit (dark or golden raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, prunes, dates, and/or figs all work), chopped into small pieces if necessary/desired
¼ cup slivered almonds (finely chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or other tree nuts work equally well)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley, basil, cilantro, and/or other herbs

1. Place dried fruit in a small bowl and pour hot water over it (enough to cover). Let stand for 15 minutes, until softened. (Alternately, if you have opened a bottle of wine or plan to drink some with dinner, gently heat a bit of it in a small saucepan along with the dried fruit, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes.) Then drain the liquid.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil until it shimmers and droplets of water sizzle upon impact. Add the squash and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until a fork pierces squash easily. Stir in maple syrup and mix well until all squash pieces are coated. Remove from heat.
3. In a saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups of chicken broth or water, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and a pinch of salt to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
4. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden, about 5-8 minutes.
5. In a large serving bowl, mix the couscous, squash, onion and garlic, spices, lemon juice, dried fruit, nuts, and herbs. Serve garnished with additional herbs and a dollop of Greek yogurt, if you like.