Easy Roasted Acorn Squash

As summer transitions into fall, hard squashes begin filling produce bins in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. One of our favorites for roasting simply is acorn squash, which has a blackish-green, deeply ridged skin and bright golden flesh. Acorn is not a flashy squash like delicata, or a meaty fall and winter workhorse like butternut, but it’s tender and delicate, with a subtly sweet and earthy flavor that takes well to butter and brown sugar. Here, you begin by splitting an acorn squash lengthwise, scooping the seeds, and cutting a tiny slice from the back of each half so it’ll be stable in a roasting pan. (If you’re shy about whacking the squash in half, you can always microwave it first to make things easier.) Season the cut sides with salt and pepper, and drop just enough butter and brown sugar in the cavities to become a delicious glaze when baked in a hot oven.

This was featured in our Recipes for Fall Ingredients photo gallery and is a perfect addition to a Thanksgiving table. For more, check out our Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing or Acorn Squash with Red Onion and Currants.

And when you’re ready to branch out into other winter squash dishes, this Maple Hasselback Butternut Squash is a star. Check out all the best of pumpkins on Chowhound too.