Roasted Acorn Squash
Ingredients
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- 2 acorn squash (about 2 to 2.5 lb each)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment for easier cleanup.
2. Halve the acorn squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Trim a thin slice off the rounded side of each half so it sits flat. Score the flesh in a shallow crosshatch without cutting through the skin.
3. Arrange squash halves cut-side up on the baking sheet. Season evenly with the kosher salt and black pepper.
4. Divide the brown sugar among the cavities, then top each half with equal portions of the unsalted butter.
5. Roast until the squash is very tender when pierced with a knife and the edges are browned, 45–60 minutes, basting once or twice with the melted butter-sugar syrup from the cavities after 30 minutes.
6. Let rest 5 minutes. Spoon any pan juices over the squash and serve hot.
Roasted Acorn Squash is a cozy, cold-weather side with tender, velvety flesh and gently caramelized edges. The natural sweetness of the squash deepens in the oven, and a simple butter-and-brown-sugar glaze turns syrupy, pooling in the cavity for spooning over each bite. Light seasoning with salt and pepper keeps it balanced, letting the squash’s nutty, earthy flavor shine.
Acorn squash is native to North America and has been cooked and stored through fall and winter since precolonial times. Baked or roasted halves appear throughout 19th- and early 20th-century American cookbooks, often with butter, sugar, or maple to highlight its inherent sweetness. Today it’s a staple on autumn tables and holiday menus, prized for its simplicity, affordability, and comforting flavor.