Butter Roasted Delicata Squash with Orange Honey Glaze
Butter Roasted Delicata Squash comes together with just about 10 minutes of prep, with no peeling needed for the edible skin. Oven roasted in butter, the squash develops a nutty flavor with a tender skin, and creamy texture. Finished with sweet orange honey glaze that's drizzled over the roasted squash, this flavorful side dish is on the table in about 35 minutes. *For smaller portions this recipe halves easily.
2tablespoonsFresh Squeezed Orange Juicedfrom about 1 large orange
2tablespoonsHoney
1teaspoonFresh Rosemaryoptional, finely chopped
Instructions
Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside. Arrange two racks in the oven, one in the center and the other in the bottom third. Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit (246 Celsius).
Take extra care to scrub your delicata squash, riding it of dirt, paying attention to the grooves. Dry throughly.
Use a large chef's knife to slice the stem and end off: a. for half pieces: stand the squash on end and cut through the center from tip to bottom. Place flesh side down and slice crosswise into 3/4 inch (1.9 centimeters) thick pieces. OR b. for rounds: slice into 3/4 inch (1.9 centimeters) thick rounds. Use a spoon and scrape the seeds out of each round.
Transfer the cut squash to a large mixing bowl and toss thoroughly with melted butter, salt and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper (set your bowl aside to use again). Transfer the squash to the two sheet pans, spacing the squash so that it's not crowded or overlapping. Roast the squash for 23-28 minutes, flipping the squash and rotating the pans top to bottom, front to back halfway through roasting (I do this at 12 mintues). Keep an eye on the squash during the last 5 minutes of roasting due to oven variations. The squash is done when fragrant, tender, and browned in patches.
While the squash roasts, make the glaze: a few minutes before the squash is out of the oven, gently heat the orange, honey, and rosemary in a small sauce pot (I use a stainless steel 1 cup measuring cup for this job) over low heat and whisk just until the honey is just melted. Alternatively, you can mix the honey, orange, and rosemary in a microwave safe spouted measuring cup. Heat for 10-20 seconds, just until the honey is melted and is easily mixed into the orange juice. Set aside.
Once out of the oven, transfer the squash to the large mixing bowl and drizzle the orange honey glaze over the squash. Use the bowl to gently toss the squash and glaze to mix, or very gently, use a silicone spatula to mix (the squash is tender and breaks easily). Transfer to a serving platter and share warm.
Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in a 350 Fahrenheit (280 Celsius) oven for about 8 min.