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Oven Roasted Delicata Squash is a perfect side dish for small scale Thanksgiving celebrations or any fall or winter meal. The mouth-watering combination of sweet and savory flavors is a wonderful accompaniment for roasted turkey, chicken, or pork.
My New Favorite Squash
I’d never heard of Delicata squash until I moved to Oregon but it’s quickly become one of my very favorite vegetables. Delicata squash is a little firmer than butternut when cooked but has a subtle sweetness that’s similar to acorn squash.
What sets these little beauties apart from other squash is the skin. After oven roasting, the thin, delicate skin of Delicata squash is tender enough to eat. That means no peeling, which means less time in the kitchen.
And something else I love about Delicata squash is the size. Though you can find large ones, most are a little bigger than my hand. They’re the perfect size for so many recipes, including my Stuffed Squash Boats.
And All the Trimmings with Oven Roasted Delicata Squash
Of course, turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving table. But I enjoy the side dishes as much as the bird. We’ll only have three people for Thanksgiving, but that’s no reason to cut back on the trimmings.
My Oven Roasted Delicata Squash combines the subtle sweetness of the squash the savory flavor of caramelized shallots and rosemary. The whole thing is pulled together by a maple and brown sugar glaze, then topped with beautiful pomegranate seeds to add color and a bright, citrusy bite. So good!
Oven Roasting Makes it Easy
Oven roasting is one of my very favorite cooking techniques because it’s so easy. All you have to do is combine the ingredients and pop a pan into the oven. That leaves your hands free to work on the rest of the meal. Or maybe enjoy a glass of wine while waiting for the timer to go off?
And my Oven Roasted Delicata Squash is so easy that even novice cooks can handle it. If you can chop, mix, and put a pan in the over, you can make this recipe. The most complicated part is preparing the squash, which really isn’t complicated at all.
Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then cut the squash into half-moon slices. Add that to your chopped shallots, nuts, rosemary, and glaze then pop it into the oven. When you’re done, sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds. That’s it!
And speaking of pomegranates, if you haven’t used them before you might find them intimidating. But really, they’re easy to work with. Just break open the fruit, peel off the thin white membrane, and pull the seeds out with your fingers.
You can find whole pomegranate fruit in most produce departments in fall and winter. However, you can sometimes find already prepared seeds, known as arils, at Trader Joe’s.
Just the Right Amount for a Small Scale Thanksgiving
Oven Roasted Delicata Squash is a great dinnertime side dish for just about any fall or winter meal. But the flavors and pretty presentation make it an especially perfect accompaniment for Thanksgiving.
Because the recipe serves four, so it’s right-sized for those of us who are celebrating Thanksgiving on a smaller scale this year. If you’re lucky enough to be feeding a crowd, just double or triple the amounts.
No matter the size of your celebration, Oven Roasted Delicata Squash is the ideal side for your special holiday dinner!
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Oven Roasted Delicata Squash
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 small to medium Delicata squash, prepared according to instructions
- 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 3 teaspoons chopped rosemary, divided
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T maple syrup
- 1 T brown sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Wash the Delicata squash under warm water to remove any dirt or waxy covering. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and pulp. Cut squash into half-moons approximately ½ inch wide.
- Whisk together olive oil, brown sugar, syrup, and Kosher salt together in medium sized bowl until smooth. Stir in chopped shallots, pecans, and two and a half teaspoons of chopped rosemary (reserve remaining ½ tsp of rosemary for garnish).
- Place Delicata squash in bowl with the other ingredients. Stir gently so that squash is coated with glaze. Spread squash mixtures out onto prepared baking pan in a single layer.
- Place baking pan in oven for approximately 20 minutes, flipping squash over halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove cooked squash from oven, place in serving bowl. Stir in pomegranate arils. Sprinkle remaining rosemary over the dish to garnish. Serve immediately.
