Make this easy roasted maple kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) as a side for your holidays meal!
These sweet tender kabocha are tossed with maple syrup and herbs and roasted to golden perfection. Garnished with some roasted pine nuts and fresh pomegranate, it makes a colorful pretty celebration dish that everyone will enjoy!
Kabocha (Japanese カボチャ, 南瓜) is an Asian variety of winter squash. It has a strong, yet sweet flavor and moist, fluffy texture, which is like chestnut, pumpkin and sweet potato combined. It is used in much the same way as other hard winter squashes like butternut or pumpkins.
They are usually dark green in color with some faint stripes. You can find them in most Asian grocery store and they are available most of the year.
Kabocha squash is rich in beta carotene, iron, Vitamin C, potassium, and smaller traces of calcium and folic acid. The skin is very thin, edible and provides added fiber and nutrition. I almost always cook the squash and eat it with the skin!
Whenever I make this dish to potlucks, they are very popular with the little ones!
Happy roasting!
Roasted Maple Kabocha Squash
Ingredients
- 1 small kabocha squash washed and sliced ½ inch or 1 cm thick
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- Fresh thyme washed
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup pine nuts
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 F (200 C).
- Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Layout squash in single layer on a foil-lined baking tray.
- Sprinkle with some thyme.
- Roast the squash for 30 minutes, flipping them over at the midpoint. The wedges are ready to eat when they’re slightly golden on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Remove from oven and drizzle maple syrup over them.
- Garnish with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds ad serve immediately.