Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe with Rosemary and Garlic (2024)

FAQs

Does acorn squash need to be peeled before cooking? ›

Good news: you don't need to peel acorn squash. Its hard, grooved skin softens significantly as it cooks, and it's edible, too. If you do want to remove the skin, wait until after you cook it, at which point it will peel right off.

You can quickly soften an acorn squash before cutting it by using a microwave. Using a knife or fork, make a few small incisions in the squash to allow steam to escape. Place the squash in a microwavable bowl and heat on high for three minutes.

Most recipes say to either bake or roast butternut squash—but what's the difference? While both cooking methods will turn the tough, raw gourd into a soft, sweet ingredient, roasting butternut squash is the more common process for achieving browned, crispy edges and a creamy interior.

5Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 30-45 minutes, or until squash is golden brown.

Putting it cut-side down creates a sort-of steam chamber for the flesh, helping it cook faster and retain moisture (no dried out squash here!). If you've added oil to the flesh before cooking, it will brown nicely where it's in contact with the sheet pan.

Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place squash, cut-sides down, in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour 2 cups water into the dish around the squash halves. Bake in the preheated oven until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 1 1/2 hours, adding more water as needed.

Curing Winter Squash

After cutting the fruits from the vine, sun-cure in the field for 5–7 days, or, cure indoors for 5–7 days at 80–85°F (27–29°C), in an area with good air ventilation.

There could be a few reasons why your roasted butternut squash is turning out soggy: Overcrowding: If you overcrowd the baking sheet with butternut squash pieces, they will release more moisture and steam, making it difficult for them to roast properly.

The squash is done when tender.

The squash is ready when you can easily pierce a fork through the flesh all the way to the peel.

Why is my roasted squash dry? ›

Don't skimp on the oil.

Some are super-soft and creamy, sort of like a baked sweet potato, while others are a bit more dry and chalky. To prevent these squash from becoming too dry in the oven, make sure to coat them generously with oil.

Set the squash on a clean cutting board, and use a paring knife or chef's knife to score the squash about 1/4 inch deep once around the circumference, resulting in a shallow groove around the entire squash. This groove will make it easier to halve the squash after you microwave it.

Freezing raw squash:

Cut the squash halves along the “valleys” so that you have wedges of squash. Use a paring knife or a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Cube the squash into smaller, like-sized pieces and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Next time you roast a squash like acorn, butternut or honeynut, try leaving the skins on and give them a nibble. Be sure to scrub the skin well, Joyce recommends, to remove any dirt or debris. The pleasantly chewy texture may just surprise you, plus you can never go wrong with more fiber.