I love butternut squash to bits but even I, an admitted squash fiend, sometimes just can’t deal with the work of prepping it. Those suckers are big and can be a pain in the butternut to peel, chop and seed.
That’s why, if you haven’t yet, you should expand your vegetal horizons to include the lovely and thin-skinned Delicata.
They’re a relatively small squash so you won’t need a chainsaw to cut through them, and the skin is completely edible. Like butternuts, they have a deep, creamy flavor that is particularly delicious when roasted.
I sometimes make roasted delicata squash just with a little olive oil, salt and pepper but adding this glaze takes very little effort and bumps up the flavor considerably.
Miso is one of my all-time favorite ingredients and its salty, umami flavor pairs well with sweet things. I used maple syrup because I like the smoky flavor it adds but you could just as easily use honey, agave or even white or brown sugar.
I also learned from David Chang of Momofuku that miso butter is one of the most delicious combinations ever so it made sense to add a little here. A scant tablespoon of butter adds richness of course but it also mellows the other flavors, making the glaze more complex.
The glaze could not be simpler, just three ingredients, but it’s so good, I now want to put it on everything I roast. Chicken, sweet potatoes and carrots would all be fantastic.
tips for perfect roasted squash
- Using a metal baking tray will give the squash a deeper color than a glass baking dish.
- Don’t cut the squash too thin or it will dry out. About 3/4-inch is perfect
- Using parchment, foil or a silicone baking sheet helps keep the squash from sticking and also helps with cleanup. If you use foil, spray it with non-stick spray.
- Kabocha squash is another good option. The skin is a little thicker than Delicata but it’s still edible.
- The glazed squash would be a great addition to a salad.
- Check out our post on Asian Pantry Basics for more info on these ingredients, including Gluten Free Miso options.
Delicata Squash with Miso-Maple Butter (Updated Recipe!)*
Ingredients
- 2 Delicata squash halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch thick pieces*
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon shiro (white) miso preferably white (click here for Gluten Free miso options)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup honey and agave are fine substitutes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 scallion finely sliced, for garnish (optional)
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF / 220ºC
- In a bowl, add the sliced squash and toss with sesame oil to coat. Spread the squash in a single layer on a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes, turning once halfway through, until lightly golden on both sides.
- In the meantime in a small bowl mix together the miso, maple syrup and butter.
- Brush one side of the roasted squash with the miso-butter mixture and roast for another 10 minutes until squash is glazed and brown (if you have any glaze left, you can drizzle it over the warm squash once it’s out of the oven). Remove to a platter and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
This looks great, will try!
I just made this! It was so good! Next time, i’ll cut the squash into thicker slices. I think I did mine too thin and they shrunk a lot. It was good anyway, and my husband wanted more!
5
5
Can carrots be done this way?
Yes! They’d be fantastic. Just keep an eye on them because they’ll cook a little faster.
4.5
Thank you for this recipe. It is delicious !
This is so hard to read with that background. Just a suggestion to help us out.
I tried this as well, but I used red kuri. I think this temperature is too hot. I cut like in the descriptions, but it came out a bit mushy. I also saw maple butter, so that’s what I used. Then I was maple syrup. Which is it supposed to be?
Hi Timothy – thanks for letting us know – we had a technical issue with the site style – it should be fixed now if you reload the page. For that recipe, we use maple syrup to create a butter-like sauce. We haven’t used pre-made maple butter yet, but maybe one day!
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This was delicious. Super easy. I make delicate squash a lot. The miso maple glaze is a nice change.
Waaaaay too sweet and totally overdone and dry if baked as long as the recipe states! I have many better delicate squash recipes.
I thought this was delicious! Husband didn’t like the skin and thought it was a little too sweet but it was all fine to me. I ended up roasting a combination of carrots and squash, and cutting them about 1″ thick after reading that another reviewer thought they shrunk a lot.
I’ve went down a rabbit hole looking for a more unique way of preparing squash and found this recipe. It is delicious! I’ve made it about 10 times now and how it turns out has been greatly effected by the squash. Some have been better than others but all have been yummy! I like the burnt pieces left on the pan it’s like maple miso candy! I use chickpea miso, earth balance soy free butter, and Michigan maple syrup.
Literally amazing!! Trader Joe’s makes maple butter, so I used equal parts miso and maple butter. I was literally scraping the pan to eat the crispy bits of glaze.
This is excellent. I had two good sized delicata squash so doubled the glaze .
Had it on Christmas and making it again.
So glad you liked it!!
This was very good. I didn’t bake as long as suggested in the recipe and forgot to add onions and sesame seed at the end. I’ll try that next time.
Original recipe is good, but had the same issues as others with timing. So the second time I cut a little thicker, per others’ recommendations. Used a little less maple syrup and added a little soy sauce and cumin. Delish! A bit less sweet, a bit more umami. Yum!!