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Parmesan Herb Roasted Acorn Squash

Parmesan herb roasted acorn squash rings are oven-baked at 400°F until tender, then finished with a golden, crisp Parmesan crust. This sheet-pan method caramelizes the edges and keeps the slices neatly layered.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

acorn squash
  • 2 acorn squash Halved, seeded, and sliced into 1/2-inch rings
olive oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
garlic
  • 2 clove garlic Minced
thyme
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
rosemary
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary Chopped
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
parmesan
  • 0.5 cup grated Parmesan For sprinkling before the final roast

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
  2. Arrange the acorn squash rings in a single layer on the lined sheet pan.
Season and first roast
  1. Toss the squash slices with olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper so every ring is coated.
  2. Roast for 20 minutes at 400°F until the squash begins to soften and the edges look lightly starting to brown.
Parmesan crust finish
  1. Flip the slices and sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan.
  2. Roast 12-15 minutes more at 400°F until the squash is tender and the Parmesan is golden and crisp.

Notes

For the crispiest Parmesan, keep the squash in a single layer so steam can escape, and don’t skimp on the topping. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat on the sheet pan in a 400°F oven for 8-12 minutes to re-crisp. Freezing isn’t recommended because the squash texture softens after thawing. Vegetarian swap isn’t needed—this recipe is naturally vegetarian; for a dairy-light option, use a hard aged cheese substitute (or nutritional yeast) and expect less browning.