Roasted Acorn Squash Slices

Roasted Acorn Squash Slices are the prettiest autumn side dish. With just a few ingredients and minimal prep, this stunning vegetable will be the star of your holiday table, but also perfect for a weeknight.

I’ve always believed that sometimes, the simplest dishes are not only the most flavorful, but the most beautiful as well. Just like my honey roasted carrots and balsamic green beans, today’s recipe is the epitome of that sentiment.

These roasted acorn squash slices on their own would be the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving salad, or all dressed up with parsley and pomegranate and added as a side dish to your Thanksgiving recipes binder (I’m not the only one with one, right?).

I especially love the sweetness of this dish paired with Cajun turkey and chorizo stuffing. And like my mini Hasselback potatoes, this dish may LOOK pretty fancy, but couldn’t be simpler to execute.

This roasted acorn squash recipe is also the perfect side dish for any dinner this fall. I particularly love it paired with Instant Pot short ribs or bourbon glazed salmon.

What you’ll need for these oven roasted acorn squash slices:

• olive oil cooking spray – I find this the easiest way to prevent the squash slices from sticking to the pan. But if you don’t have spray, you can just use a thin layer of regular olive oil.
• acorn squash – two medium acorn squash should feed about 4 people as a side dish (or maybe a little more than that on Thanksgiving when there are lots of sides to fit onto your plate).
• salt and pepper – seasoning the roasted acorn squash slices is important for the best flavor.
• parsley – chopped fresh parsley adds a pretty touch any finished dish, whether it’s this squash or Cajun salmon pasta or Thanksgiving rice.
• pomegranate arils – these are a seasonal ingredient that add sweetness, crunch, color and beauty to this roasted acorn squash recipe. I also love them in Thanksgiving fruit salad, and sprinkled over vegan lentil curry and my lamb lollipop recipe

How to cut acorn squash slices:

First, for this oven roasted acorn squash, you’ll want to select a large, very sharp knife. Be very careful. Make sure your cutting board is very stable (see my post about cutting board safety for some ideas on how to make this happen). Make sure you’re keeping your fingers tucked under and away from the knife.

A lot of oven roasted acorn squash recipes call for cutting the squash in half and then using a spoon to scoop out the pulp and seeds, but I think roasting sliced acorn squash is much easier.

So, with the squash on it’s side, use the knife to cut the squash crosswise into 1-inch slices. Then, you’ll be using some type of round cutter to cut the seeds and pulp out of the middle, in a perfect circle.

I was required to buy a set of round cutters (restaurant folk will refer to these as “ring molds”) for culinary school, so I use those here. You can also use a biscuit cutter, the end of a can or a jar, or simply use your knife to cut out the seedy part in the middle of each slice.

How to roast acorn squash:

Roasting acorn squash slices at a pretty high temperature (425 degrees F) allows the outer parts to caramelize and get extra yummy while the insides get tender.

Grab two large rimmed baking pans (line them with foil for easy cleanup), and spray them with nonstick cooking spray. Just like with my roasted broccoli with lemon, two pans is better than one, because if the squash rings are too close to each other, they’ll steam rather than brown.

Arrange the squash slices in a single layer on the two pans, lightly spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash slices are golden brown and tender, turning them over once, halfway through cooking.

Can I use a different type of squash?

Yes! You can use the method from this roasted acorn squash recipe for a variety of hard winter squashes. Carnival squash and delicata squash are two other varieties that are perfect for this recipe.

If you come across sweet dumpling squash at your market, I recommend my sweet dumpling squash soup.

Country Living has a very nice roundup of 16 types of squash, and the best ways to cook each, if you want to learn more about this fall superfood.