Roasted Delicata Squash and Sweet Yams

It is definitely fall and we're in the bounty of root veggies and squash.  There are so many varieties out there and I want to put the spotlight on delicata squash today.  It is seriously an under appreciated, unknown vegetable to most people and it is such a lovely variety of squash.  It is sweeter than butternut squash and also has a thinner edible skin which I like because I don't have to peel off the skin before cooking with it and who doesn't need the extra fiber these days?

Roasting is the easiest and most delicious way to cook these vegetables in my opinion.   I left the skins on the squash and yam because I can and they are organic.  If you are using conventional produce, I would recommend peeling the skin before you roast.

Recipe

Ingredients
Delicata squash, de-seeded and cut into chunks
Sweet yams, scrubbed and cut into chunks
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Lay veggies flat in a single layer on the baking pan.  Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast about 15 minutes per side for a total of 30 minutes and toss the vegetables once after the first 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Roasting tip:  The cooking time will really depend on how many veggies you put on the baking pan.  If the baking pan is completely full, it will probably take about 15 to 17 minutes per side.  However, if you only have a few veggies on the baking pan, it can take as little as 5 minutes so adjust the time accordingly and be close to the oven when you do this so you can eyeball it.

If you want, you can save the seeds of the squash and roast them for a little snack.  

I like roasting the yams and the squash in a single layer so both sides caramelize.  This is the good stuff.  The crust creates a nice texture and the natural sugars come out and sweeten the yams and squash.  It is seriously as good as it gets.  No additional sugar is needed.  Really.... no marshmallows or brown sugar.  It is already sweet as is.

This is so delicious and super easy to make.  It is also perfect to serve as a side for Thanksgiving and Christmas to balance out the other heavier dishes that you know you are going to eat too.