Roasted acorn squash halves are the perfect winter side dish.
Acorn squash has a slightly sweet nutty flavor that accommodates other flavors well.
So you can make it according to your mood!
Try our Southern Yellow Squash Casserole!
What is Acorn Squash?
Acorn squash also called pepper squash or Des Moines squash.
It is a winter squash with typically dark green skin on its exterior and sweet, yellow-orange flesh inside.
It’s considered a winter squash, but acorn squash belongs to the same species as all summer squashes.
It’s packed with nutrients, high in antioxidants, high in vitamin C, all of which is great for boosting immunity.
Roasted Acorn Squash Halves
How to roast acorn squash halves
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Use a very sharp knife to carefully cut the squash in half, from stem to tip. Be very careful with this step as it can rock and make you slip with the knife.
I’ve been known to use a rubber mallet with this part.
Scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp from the inside of each half until clean.
If you like you can score the flesh in a cross-hatch pattern, but it’s not necessary.
Rub 1 tablespoon of softened butter on the inside flesh of each half. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Place the squash cut side up in a large roasting pan. Fill the bottom of the pan with about 1/4-inch of water.
This keeps the squash from drying out and scorching on the bottom.
Bake for about 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes, until the flesh is nicely browned and fork tender/soft.
Remove and let cool just a bit before serving. You can scoop it out or serve it in its naturally beautiful shell.
Check out our Garlic Herb Beef Top Round !
Roasted Acorn Squash Halves Recipe
Roasted Acorn Squash Halves
Ingredients
- 2 Acorn Squash
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Use a large very sharp knife carefully cut the acorn squash in half, from stem to tip. Be very careful with this step it can rock and make you slip with the knife. I’ve been known to use a rubber mallet with this part.
- Scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp from the inside of each half until clean. If you like, you can score the flesh in a cross-hatch pattern, but it’s not necessary.
- Rub 1 tablespoon of softened butter on the inside flesh of each half. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Place the acorn squash cut side up in a large roasting pan. Fill the bottom of the pan with about 1/4-inch of water. This keeps the squash from drying out and scorching on the bottom.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Comments
Carol Buckley
November 5, 2018Sounds very good