Preheat oven to 375°F.

Slice the acorn squash in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash halves into ½ inch wide half moons and place in a medium bowl. Toss the half moons with the maple syrup, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch of kosher salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Spread the slices out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside.

Toss the torpedo onions with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Spread out on a separate baking sheet. Roast both the squash and the onions for 45 minutes or until the squash turn golden brown and the onions are soft and caramelized. Once the squash slices are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off.

While the squash and onions are roasting, assemble the dressing. In a blender or food processor, puree the pistachios, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and honey until creamy. If the dressing seems to thick, you can thin it out with a tablespoon or two of warm water. Pulse in the ½ cup arugula (don’t over pulse though – you want to see visible bits of arugula in the dressing). Season with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, gently toss the red quinoa, 1 cup of arugula and roasted torpedo onions. Divide the quinoa salad amongst six small plates. Top each serving with several slices of roasted acorn squash and a drizzle of pistachio arugula dressing.