Agrodolce squash hits sweet, sour notes as Thanksgiving side

Sweet and sour in Italian cooking, or agrodolce, has roots that predate the Romans, but credit Sicily— and the North African influence on their cuisine — with keeping it alive.

Sicilians slather a basic mixture of vinegar and honey on grilled meat and fish. They turn roasted eggplant into caponata with a version of it dressed up with alliums, raisins and herbs. And sometimes they add nuts and chilies for a textured condiment that hits most, if not all, of the notes on the flavor spectrum.

The latter is what we had in mind for this acorn squash in our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy weeknight meals. It couldn’t be easier to prepare and will make a perfect vegetarian side dish for Thanksgiving.

As the sliced squash roasts in the oven — you don’t even need to peel it — we build