I need to share a food with you that I’ve been crushing on lately. It’s not anything fancy or even unique, but somehow it still blows my mind every time I make it. I’m talking about roasted delicata squash. Everyone always talks about butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash, but we need to be talking about Delicata squash. Because it’s the best winter squash by far, IMHO. We’re nearing the end of the season, so I wanted to squeeze this post in there so you can give it a try before the crop runs out!
Why is Roasted Delicata Squash So Good??
This pretty little winter squash is a little sweet and almost has a rich quality to the flavor, making it taste rather dessert-like, especially when roasted. When delicata squash is roasted all of those natural sugars get caramelized so you get that buttery caramel flavor on the back end. It’s truly perfection and I have a hard time not eating the entire squash myself.
Can You Eat the Skin on Delicata Squash?
Yes! The skin of Delicata squash is 100% edible. That’s the second reason I love this squash so much. It’s so easy to prepare because you don’t have to bother peeling it. Not to mention that gorgeous yellow and green striped skin makes for a really beautiful plate.
How to Season Roasted Delicata Squash
Look, this squash is so delicious it truly doesn’t need any seasoning. That being said, I did just a pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You could also play around with adding some sweet-smoky-spicy seasonings like brown sugar, smoked paprika, or cayenne pepper. I think those flavors would pair beautifully with the sweet flavor of the squash.
What to Serve with Delicata Squash
Roasted delicata squash makes a great side dish to any roasted Autumn or Winter meats, like Herb Roasted Tenderloin, Cider Roasted Turkey, or Herb Roasted Chicken Breasts. You could also add it to a fall inspired salad, like this Autumn Kale and Sweet Potato Salad, or make it part of a sheet pan meal, like this Sheet Pan Cranberry Chicken Dinner. It would even go nicely with something Like Bratwurst and Sauerkraut.
Roasted Delicata Squash
Servings 2Ingredients
- 1 delicata squash (⅔ lb.) ($1.66)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut the ends off the delicata squash, then slice it open length-wise.
- Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds, then slice the squash into ½-inch wide slices.
- Place the sliced squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, and pepper over top. Toss the squash until it is fully coated in oil and spices. Make sure it is spread out over the baking sheet in an even layer.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, flip the squash pieces over. Roast for an additional 10-15* minutes, or until browned to your liking.
- Taste the squash and adjust the salt or pepper to your liking. Serve warm.
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Notes
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How to Make Roasted Delicata Squash – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. I bought two delicata squashes, but I only roast one at a time because you need to make sure the slices have plenty of room on the baking sheet and are not crowded in order to get the nice caramelization. (I’ll just save the second one for next week 😏)
Slice the stem off the squash, then slice it open lengthwise. Thankfully, Delicata squash are not that big and are slightly softer than butternut squash, so they’re much easier to cut. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
Cut the squash into ½-inch wide slices.
Place the squash pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.
Also add a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder (about ⅛ tsp each). Toss the squash pieces until they’re evenly coated in oil and spices, then make sure they’re spread out evenly over the baking sheet again.
Transfer the squash to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, take the squash out of the oven, flip them over, then return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until they’re nice and caramelized like in the photo above.
Give the squash a taste and add more salt or pepper if you prefer. Serve it up warm and enjoy! …And try not to eat all of it before you even sit down to your meal. ;)
This is easy AND wonderful.
I added 1/8 t. gochugaru for a little heat the second time and both were delicious.
I love this method for delicata squash. It’s so easy and turns out really tasty! I served with the Herb-Roasted Tenderloin as suggested, and some steamed broccoli, and it made a fantastic (and healthy!) autumn dinner.
Never had Delacota squash before and plan to make this recipe this week, but wondered if you peeled it before baking? Do you eat the rind?
I just re-read the directions and see that you can eat the rind. Looking forward to making this!
Hi ! This looks amazing. If you don’t have delicata on hand can you substitute acorn squash? I definitely want to try delicata, but since I have an acorn squash I’d like to try that too. I love your website! Thank you for all you do.
I like this squash as well, but I usually use it to make a topping for pasta. Peel, seed, and slice thin, then cook it in a generous amount of olive oil with salt and pepper. Peel and thinly slice as much garlic as you like, I typically treat it like a secondary vegetable and slice an entire head. Add the sliced garlic to the squash, and cook them together until the squash is nicely brown, and the garlic is soft and has some color, but is not burned. Toss this mixture with cooked spaghetti or angel hair pasta, and sprinkle on some lemon juice, or if you have leftover wine, add a splash at the end to the vegetables instead of the lemon. It’s one of my favorite fall meals.
I found this preparation method to be really excellent — the texture of the squash and its skin was really great. However, I have found delicata to be pretty bland the other times I’ve tried making it, so I ate this with some of the cranberry balsamic glaze from another Budget Bytes recipe. It was really tasty!
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We love delicata squash so much that we now grow it in our garden. It is so easy to prepare and tastes great. Our dog likes it too.
Pretty great! I doubled the recipe on a half sheet pan and it worked well.
I had never tried delicata squash before today. Your recipe is delicious. Only adjustment I made was to peel the skin of the squash in ribbons so it wouldn’t be a choking hazard for my 1-year-old. He loves it! Thank you, Beth!
I love delicata, but have taken to sautéing it instead of roasting. Halve and seed, slice pretty thin, maybe 1/4”. Heat olive oil in a wide pan, you want lots of surface area. I use a 12” skillet. Toss in the squash, season, allow to brown, flip gently. It takes 10-15 minutes to cook.
My favorite seasoning has been maple cinnamon, with a little chipotle for some background heat.
Oooh, I’m going to try that next! Thanks for the tip!