Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and 3/4" diced
• 4 T olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 c farro (pearled, semi-pearled or regular)
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts, toasted
• 4 oz ricotta salata, crumbled (feta would also work)
• 1 T sherry vinegar
• 1 T water
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, toss squash with 2 T olive oil and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, stir, then 15 more minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. While squash is roasting, prepare pickled onions. In a small bowl, whisk together sherry vinegar, water, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and sugar until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in onion. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to help pickle all of the onion equally. (It will be ready to go by the time you're ready to assemble the whole salad, but you could certainly make these earlier in the day and pop them in the fridge till you need them).
4. Also while squash is roasting, cook farro in a large pot of simmering salted water according to package directions. (I use pearled farro from Trader Joe's, which took 10 minutes to cook). Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
5. In a large bowl, mix together squash, faro, red onion and its brine, ricotta salata and walnuts. Toss with 2 T olive oil and season to taste with more salt and pepper (I added about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper). Serve immediately, or let it sit for days in the fridge because it just gets better and better!

Recipe by The Food Hound at http://www.thefoodhound.com/2013/03/16/butternut-squash-salad-with-farro-and-walnuts/

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