Roasted Acorn Squash with Goat Cheese

Enjoy the flavors of all with this easy Roasted Acorn Squash recipe! Tossed with olive oil and fragrant spices, and served with goat cheese and pomegranate arils, this is the perfect side dish to share with your family and friends! It also makes a great and beautiful addition to your holiday table!

Give me all the winter squashes! This is the perfect time to enjoy these tasty squash varieties like butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash! They have great health benefits like fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. They also have a long shelf life and are so versatile, you can use them in all sorts of recipes.

How to Choose the Perfect Squash

Acorn squashes are small and round with a deep green rind flecked with orange.

Choose a squash that is heavy for its size.

Look for smooth, dull skin with no soft spots.

Don’t choose a squash with too much orange- look for a healthy balance between the green and orange on the acorn squash skin for the best flavor.

Acorn squash can be stored on the shelf for up to 1 month.

Ingredients for Roasted Acorn Squash with Goat Cheese

All you need for this perfect fall side dish is a good squash, a little olive oil, a handful of spices, and the finishing touches of goat cheese and pomegranate. Gather the ingredients as follows:

1 small to medium acorn squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon dried sage

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

4 ounces goat cheese

½ cup pomegranate arils

Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

How to make Acorn Squash with Goat Cheese and Arils

Roasting vegetables is my favorite way of cooking veggies. I love making this easy side dish because it’s so easy to prepare! Here are the step-by-step instructions for making it:

First, preheat oven to 425°F, and prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.

Grab a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut both ends of the whole acorn squash off, and then slice it in half. Remove the seeds and cut each of the squash halves into ½-inch to 1-inch thick slices.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme. Toss to coat. I find it easiest to do this with my hands as each slice is coated better than with a spatula.

Place the squash slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes until soft. Remember, all ovens cook a bit differently so your exact cooking time may vary.

Transfer the squash from the sheet pan onto a serving dish and place chunks of goat cheese among the slices. Sprinkle with pomegranate arils and fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Helpful Tips: How to Cut a Pomegranate

Pomegranates are one of my favorite things to eat! But, it can be intimidating to cut a pomegranate if you’ve never done it before, and super messy! Don’t be scared. I’ve found this to be the easiest and cleanest way to remove the arils.
Just know that you’ll probably want to wear an apron as the arils can stain your clothes.

Fill a large bowl with water.

On a cutting board, cut off a small portion at the top of the pomegranate, about ¼ inch or so.

Run a knife down the ridges on the side to make slits, but do not cut all the way through.

Use your hands to gently peel it open from the top, and divide it into several equal parts or segments.

Separately submerge each segment into the bowl of water and use your hands to separate the seeds or arils from the skin and membrane. I find that by gently rubbing the arils, that they’ll detach easily from the membrane. No need to pluck them out one by one! The seeds sink to the bottom, and any membrane will float to the top. 

Skim off the white membrane, drain the seeds and you’re ready to go!

Can I use fresh herbs in this simple side dish?

You can use fresh thyme and sage if you want, with a 3:1 ratio (fresh to dried). 

How do I store Roasted Acorn Squash?

Keep this in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 days. To reheat, separate the acorn squash slices from the goat cheese if necessary. 

Can I freeze this squash side dish?

I don’t recommend freezing this. Due to the high water content in squash, it will be mushy when thawed. However, you could puree leftovers and freeze them to use in other recipes!

Do you have more Squash Recipes?

If you loved this Roasted Acorn Squash with Goat Cheese, then you might enjoy one of these squash dishes:

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto– add a twist to classic risotto with fried sage leaves and roasted butternut squash! A great addition to your dinner table.

Twice-Baked Acorn Squash– roast a squash, scoop out the insides, mix with cream and seasonings, and bake again. Delicious!

Stuffed Zucchini– cook zucchini and stuff with a meat and tomato filling, topped with bread crumbs. This one is a great way to use up leftover zucchini!

Butternut Chicken Pinwheels– Flavorful mashed butternut squash and chicken rolled inside puff pastry dough. These make a great side dish or appetizer!

What is your favorite winter squash?

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