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ROASTED STUFFED ONIONS
10 medium red and yellow onions
4 oz sliced bacon or sausage, cut 1" pieces (optional)
1 celery rib, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
salt and black pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
5 cups baby spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped
3 cups country-style bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes and lightly toasted
1 cup salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
unsalted butter
3/4 cups stock
Cut a 1/2-inch-thick slice from tops of onions (save for stock) and trim bottoms so that onions will stand upright. Scoop out all but outer 2 or 3 layers from each using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, reserving scooped-out onion and onion shells separately.
Coarsely chop enough scooped-out onion to measure 3 cups. Cook bacon or sausage in a skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until brown, transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving about 1/3 cup fat in skillet.
If not using meat, melt 3 tbsp unsalted butter in a skillet over moderately high heat, add chopped onion, celery, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring, until vegetables are soft, add garlic, stir and sauté 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in spinach, bread, cashews, butter, 1/2 cup stock, and bacon, then cool completely.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange onion shells (open sides up) in a baking pan, then add 1/2 cup water and cover pan tightly with foil, roast onions in middle of oven until tender (25 to 30 minutes).
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Transfer shells to a work surface, pour off water in pan, fill shells with stuffing, mounding it, and return to pan. Bake in middle of oven, uncovered, until heated through. Makes 10
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