Roasted Delicata Squash with Parmesan & Dill

Roasting vegetables is synonymous with Fall. Especially roasting squash.

And yes, Fall is also the changing colors of the leaves, and setting our clocks back (which I pretty much loathe and still haven't adjusted to, anyone else?), and pumpkin spice, and sweaters, and dogs wearing sweaters (<--DEFINITELY Fall vibes).

But that's all beside the point.

Let's roast some squash. And talk about animals that we would like to see in sweaters. Baby goats?

Up until the last 5 years, my knowledge of squash that one could cook and consume was ignorantly limited to zucchini and butternut. I never understood why the grocery stores would load up on so maaany 'decorative' squash. Cuz let's be honest, even though a beautiful holiday tablescape is something to be admired, how many funky-looking gourds do we really need to display? They are just taking up valuable table real estate from ALL THE REAL FOOD.

But it turns out I was probably...most likely...one of few to learn later in life that we CAN cook and eat those stripey and funky shaped squash.

Mind blown. And taste buds amazed. And kind of weirded out that we call the little bumps on our tongues buds.

And now my buds (<-- sorry) have become super excited about delicata squash. Does your mouth know this squash yet?! If not, time to retrieve it from your tablescape.

Roasted delicata squash is like candy in vegetable form; naturally sweet and mild in flavor with a hint of caramelization, which = suuuper tasty.

Instead of hiding chocolates in my kids' Christmas stockings this year, I'm going to give them each a delicata squash with a note attached saying, "This candy won't rot your teeth or give you zits. Just slice and roast in the oven for 25 minutes. You're welcome. Love, Santa."

My kids are going to LOVE it. And then they'll question who Santa really is. It's a hard truth we must all face at some point. I'll be sure to add delicata squash to my upcoming 2019 Pass Me Some Tasty Gift Guide so the kids in your life can share in the joy and wonder of the season too. You're welcome.

Roasted delicata squash is our golden ticket to creating a suuuuper simple side dish.

Here's why:

It has thin skin. So it's a sensitive soul. No, not really. But it's not like its siblings, butternut and spaghetti squash, that have thick or unpleasant tasting skins and need to be peeled. Delicata?! No peeling! Just leave the skin on babe AND EAT IT.

Sounds weird, I know. Maybe because I just yelled at you to eat some squash skin while also calling you babe. I get excited sometimes. Just trust. No skin peeling. Babe.

So basically, this thin-skinned delicata squash is a finger lifesaver. Raise your hand if you HAVE NEVER had a close encounter with losing a digit or two while attempting to peel a butternut squash? Bueller...??? My nine fingers are really happy about this.

Just kidding. I have 11.

(not really)

But listen bae (do you prefer bae?), the WHOLE squash is edible!

Except the little stem. Don't eat that. And maybe those slimy, stringy squashy fibers that hang onto the seeds. That would be weird to eat. But you could definitely roast the seeds if you really wanted to be extra reduce-reuse-recycle.

So here's how this super simple roasted delicata squash side dish action happens:

1. Slice open the delicata lengthwise and scoop out the squash guts. Kitchen hack tip: Use a grapefruit spoon. The little teeth on the end are perfect for really getting in and scooping everything out.
2. Cut each squash half into slices making cute squash moons.
3. Toss on a pan with olive oil, fresh dill, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Spread out the squash moons in a single layer on the pan and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano (the real stuff plz).
5. Roast for 25 minutes.
6. Squeeze some fresh lemon over top. And maybe sprinkle some more Parm cuz we heart cheese.
7. AND DOOOOOONE!

And there you have it babers (<--too much?). One VERY easy and tasty side dish that should definitely grace our tables this holiday season.

Just remember to scoot those other decorative squash to the side to make room for the real food. 😉