Roasted acorn squash topped with ricotta and pomegranate seeds is about to be your new fav fall side dish! I love kicking off this season with all of the fall things, some roasted squash, butternut squash pasta and fall harvest salad.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
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! 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 🙂
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!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Acorn Squash cleaned and quartered
- Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper freshly cracked
- Fresh Ricotta or burrata
- Pomegranate Seeds
- Honey
- Nutmeg freshly grated
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Roasted Acorn Squash
Step 1: Wash the entire acorn squash and trim the ends off with a sharp knife. Carefully cut the squash in half from top to bottom. Using a spoon, scoop out the insides of the squash and discard. Slice each half into 2-3 pieces and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Step 2: Drizzle the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer into a 425 degree oven and roast. Halfway through roasting, take the sheet pan out of the oven and flip the squash to make sure they are cooking evenly.
Step 3: 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.
How to Store Roasted Acorn Squash
You can store the roasted acorn squash in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. I recommend storing the squash as is without the ricotta and the toppings. This way it will store better, and you can also warm the squash in the oven or microwave, and then prep with all the toppings when it is time to eat.
How to Freeze Roasted Acorn Squash
You can store the roasted squash in its current or mashed form, in freezer bags or airtight containers. To defrost, just warm on the stove or microwave. This can be used for eating or as an ingredient in other things, like a pasta filling, sauce or a soup. You can also freeze the squash raw, if needed.
Tips & Tricks
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!
FAQs
Can I eat the skin of the 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!
What other toppings could I use?
You can use burrata, or an herbed butter.
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
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
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.
This recipe is so balanced and special and delicious. It’s creamy, salty and sweet. The squash and ricotta combo with the pop of brightness from the pomegranate is perfect. So easy too!
Made this for Thanksgiving 2023. Very good and easy. Will definitely be on the menu again. I washed the squash really well since the skin is edible, but I didn't care for the skin personally. Others did like it.
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