Roasted acorn squash topped with ricotta and pomegranate seeds is about to be your new fav fall side dish!
If you've never roasted acorn squash before - you're in for a treat! Squash is one of those vegetables that doesn't require much work. Just roast it off and the natural flavors shine. It's important to let squash really caramelize when roasting so those crispy bits bring out all the flavor.
Acorn squash can take on any number of flavor profiles - but for this one I went with a sweet topping of honey, nutmeg, ricotta and pomegranate seeds. It's equal parts delicious and gorgeous!
When you're roasting acorn squash, all you have to do it cut it into quarters, scoop out the seeds, place it onto a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and roast! It couldn't be easier, just like roasted carrots!
And to answer your question off the bat - can you eat the skin of an acorn squash - you sure can!! I do it all the time. And it's actually one of the reasons I love cooking with acorn squash so much! No peeling needed! How's that for a time saving tip!
How to cook acorn squash:
- Step 1: Wash the entire acorn squash and trim the ends off with a sharp knife
- Step 2: Carefully cut the squash in half from top to bottom.
- Step 3: Using a spoon, scoop out the insides of the squash and discard.
- Step 4: Slice each half into 2-3 pieces and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Step 5: Drizzle the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer into a 425 degree oven and roast.
- Step 6: Halfway through roasting, take the sheet pan out of the oven and flip the squash to make sure they are cooking evenly.
- Step 7: Remove the squash once they are fork tender and garnish with whatever you want and serve!
Pretty easy right? And while these Acorn Squash quarters are roasted to perfection and loaded up with some ricotta cheese, you could also swap out the ricotta for burrata! Or skip the cheese and drizzle with some extra herb infused melted butter! What more could you ask for in a simple side dish!? It's one of those things that you'll make once, and then again and again and again and again 🙂
PS – are you thinking of putting this on your Thanksgiving menu? Check out the full What’s Gaby Cooking menu here along with the master prep schedule to keep things organized and on track!
And if you need more Thanksgiving Ideas check out this roundup of 80+ Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas
Roasted Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 whole acorn squash cleaned and quartered
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 8-10 ounces fresh ricotta (or buratta)
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- Honey to drizzle
- freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Drizzle the squash with olive oil and arrange on a large roasting pan
- Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway, until the squash is fork tender.
- Once out of the oven, place a dollop of ricotta or burrata in each of the squash quarters , sprinkle with equal amounts of the pomegranate seeds, drizzle with honey and top with freshly grated nutmeg. Can be served warm or at room temperature.
Roasted acorn squash is delicious, but adding cheese and pomegranate seeds elevates the dish to another level.
Ridiculous flavor and the pomegranate seeds are the secret weapon! Beyond delish!
I will make this today to accompany my Thanksgiving leftovers. Something tells me, a drizzle of honey blanketing the pomegranate seeds that are nestled into the ricotta just seems so right!
Hi Gaby, could I use kabocha squash instead of acorn?
I love acorn squash, but have one question for you. How do you select a good one? I find the flavor to be highly variable from one acorn to the next. Some are so sweet and flavorful and the next one will be bland. Thoughts? Thanks Gaby!
tough to say - I try and buy the heaviest one so it's the most dense/flavorful
This is beautiful! Question: do you salt/pepper the squash before roasting? Or is that to finish off the ricotta at the end... I see it mentioned in the ingredients but not the directions. Thanks!
I do it before cooking and after too to finish