Maple Roasted Acorn Squash

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: maple roasted acorn squash

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 195kcal

This easy maple roasted acorn squash is topped with chopped pecans. It's a little bit sweet and a little bit savory, and a perfect side dish for fall.

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 medium to large acorn squash or two smaller ones
2 tablespoon real maple syrup
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup chopped pecans
flaky sea salt for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.
Use a good chef's knife to remove the top including the stem of the squash and a small slice from the very bottom to stabilize it. Slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Then use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds. (Save for roasting if you like.) Turn the squash cut side down and cut into ½ inch slices.
Combine the maple syrup, kosher salt, and olive oil in a large mixing bowl.
Add the squash slices to the bowl and toss them until coated with the maple syrup mixture. I find it's easiest to do this with your hands so you can ensure the slices are all evenly coated. You might have to work in two batches. You should have a bit of the olive oil mixture left in the bowl, don't discard it.
Place the slices on two baking sheets leaving a good amount of space in between.
Add the chopped pecans into the bowl with the remaining maple syrup mixture and another pinch of salt, stir to coat evenly. (If you don't have any mixture left, add ½ teaspoon each of olive oil and maple syrup to the bowl. You don't need much.)
Roast the squash for 15 minutes, then remove the baking sheets and flip the squash slices over. Place the pans back into the oven, rotating from top to bottom, and roast for another 5-10 minutes until the squash is fork-tender and caramelized. Transfer to a serving plate.
Spread out the pecans on one of the baking sheets and place on the top rack in the oven for 2-5 minutes, just until the pecans start smelling toasty.
Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the acorn squash, season with flaky sea salt and serve.

Notes

It really is easiest to use your hands to get the squash slices coated with the maple syrup mixture. And it's fun!
You don't want the chopped pecans dripping in the maple syrup and olive oil. Just enough to coat them lightly. If you have pools of the syrup on the sheet pan, the syrup and the pecans will burn quickly.
Don't crowd the sheet pan when roasting or the vegetables will steam instead of getting caramelized.
I always order my pecans from Millican Pecan. They are fresh from the most recent harvest and straight from America's "mother orchard." They taste a MILLION times better than grocery store pecans which can be 2-3 years old.

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Nutrition