Herb Roasted Acorn Squash

Herb-roasted acorn squash is a hearty and savory side dish that will complete any dinner party.

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Herb Roasted Acorn Squash

Easy Herb Roasted Acorn Squash is a great side dish for fall or winter dinners. It's hearty enough to appease even the pickiest vegetarian as a main course as well.

The squash gets its name from its acorn shape and has a mild and nutty flavor that is a great platform for many different flavors. It is high in fiber and potassium and contains vitamin B and C and magnesium so it's a great addition to your lunch or dinner.

It is indigenous to North and Central America and was introduced to Europeans by Native Americans. It might even have been served at the first Thanksgiving dinner, so consider including it in your Turkey Day menu!

This recipe is good as a side dish, but great as a snack, too!

How to make Herb Roasted Acorn Squash

To make this recipe, you'll need:

• Acorn Squash. While often categorized with winter squash, Acorn squash is technically part of the summer squash species, which means its skin is edible when roasted. It has a wonderfully mild, nutty flavor with green skin and yellow-orange flesh.
• Parmesan Cheese. Parmesan cheese is a quintessential Italian cheese, made from cow's milk and aged for 12 months. Its salty, nutty, and umami flavors are a good finish to this stew.
• Italian Seasoning. This blend of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram is a staple of Italian cooking and flavors that complement chicken and beans well.
• Olive Oil. Olive oil is a traditional fat used in Mediterranean and Italian cooking. It has a rich, nutty flavor that compliments the seasonings used in this stew. It does have a relatively low smoke point, so it's important to keep an eye on your level of heat.
• Garlic Powder. Garlic powder brings a deep and earthy flavor to the dish, without the sharp spice often found in raw garlic.
• Sea Salt and Black pepper– Salt and pepper are the original culinary duo. Salt enhances and brings out many flavors, and the mild spice from black pepper helps to stimulate the taste buds with a bit of heat and kick.

Once you've gathered your ingredients, we will use the following method:

• Prepare the Acorn Squash. Split your acorn squash into halves and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and pith. Cut the squash into ½” thick slices.
• Season. In a large bowl, mix the cheese, oil, and seasonings. Arrange the squash slices on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and dress with the cheese-oil-seasoning mixture. Apply the mixture as evenly as you can on all surfaces of the squash.
• Roast the Acorn Squash. Roast the squash in a 400oF oven until the Acorn squash is tender, and the parmesan cheese is crispy and golden brown and good.

Kitchen notes

The Herb Roasted Acorn Squash is extremely easy to prepare, but these tips will help make it even better.

use parchment paper. Using parchment paper on your sheet tray will help with cleanup and will prevent the roasted squash from sticking to the pan.

Leftovers are great cold in a salad. It's unlikely you'll have leftovers, but this dish tastes great cold, the next day. Dress it with olive oil, and your favorite vinegar or lemon juice and serve with goat cheese, arugula, toasted pine nuts, and fresh cherry tomatoes.

FAQ:

Is the skin of the acorn squash edible?

Unlike winter squash, the skin of the acorn squash is edible and will become quite soft when roasted.

How long can we keep cooked acorn squash?

This herb-roasted acorn squash will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Can we use different seasonings?

We love this recipe with za'atar, cajun seasonings, blackening spices, lemon pepper seasoning, and other herb blends!

Serve it with

This good Herb Roasted Acorn Squash pairs well with any roast dinner like ribeye roast or a good brown bag turkey.

As a side dish, this recipe is right at home on your Thanksgiving dinner table. It pairs extremely well with roast chicken or pork.

Our Best Easy Baked Chicken Thighs or Foolproof Thyme Roasted Chicken are great places to start.

Herb Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 large acorn squash
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp dried herb mix, oregano, rosemary, thyme, etc
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Cut the acorn in half and scoop out the seeds. Then slice each half into ½ inch sized pieces, until both halves are completely sliced.
3. In a large bowl, combine all the other ingredients.
4. Lay the acorn squash pieces on a lined baking sheet. Press the cheese and herb mixed into the acorn pieces.
5. Bake until the squash is tender and the parmesan looks crispy. This should take about 25 minutes.
6. Let cool for a few minutes and sprinkle with leftover parmesan. Enjoy!