Roasted delicata squash

5 from 1 vote

A hot oven caramelizes the delicata squash sugars while also softening the skin.

Prep Time10

Servings: people

Calories: 128kcal

Ingredients

2 delicata squash
2 tablespoon butter melted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper or ¼ teaspoon cayenne or aleppo pepper

Instructions

PREPARE SQUASH

Preheat oven to 425℉ and move a baking rack to the bottom ⅓ of the oven (the bottom heating element helps caramelize the squash through the hot pan).
Cut the squash: cut the top and bottom ends off, then slice it lengthwise to make 2 open boats. Scoop out the seeds (save them for roasting!) Then cut those into ¾ -1" thick half-moon slices. (Less than ¾" will likely cook too fast before the flesh caramelizes).
Melt the butter and toss with squash in a large bowl. Try to make sure the skin gets a nice coating of butter to help it soften and not dry out. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

ROAST

Arrange squash slices on a large baking sheet with space between them. (Too crowded and they will steam). Roast for 8 minutes then check for the level of caramelization on the underside. If they look done, flip each squash slice. If not, cook for another 2-5 minutes. My oven cooks them in 10 minutes.
Once flipped, rotate the pan and roast for the same amount of time as the first side, minus 3 minutes. The pan is hotter and the 2nd side will cook faster than the first side. (For example, if the first side browned nicely in 10 minutes, cook them for another 7-8 on the other side).

Notes

Butter vs oil: butter soaks into the flesh better than most cooking oils, however, oil can be substituted. The flesh might not be as buttery, and the skin could crisp up slightly, but I had a hard time telling the difference when I tested both.

Roasting times: I've seen recipes that use 425 degree ovens with similar thick slices - and roast for a total of 15 minutes to 35 minutes. This shows how different ovens can be so check on your squash early to avoid burning them.

Notes for next time: If you got perfect browning but the flesh was over cooked, cut thicker slices next time. If the flesh was undercooked, cut thinner slices. Each oven is different!

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Nutrition