Step 1

Heat the oven to 375°F. Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

Step 2

Cut the squash in half from stem to tip. Place the squash on a cutting board. Using a chef’s knife, start on one side of the stem and cut straight through until the knife stops hitting resistance and you’ve cut through to the hollow middle. Continue cutting around the acorn, through the tip, ending up on the other side of the stem. Do not try to cut through the stem.

Step 3

Break the squash in half. Put down your knife and hold the squash in both hands. Pull the two halves away from each other, cracking the shell at the stem. The stem will stay with one half and leave the other half clean; you can trim away the stem if you want, but I usually leave it in.

Step 4

Scoop out the seeds. Use a sturdy spoon to scrape out all the seeds and stringy bits from inside both squash halves. You can save these for roasting in the oven, if you like!

Step 5

Rub the squash halves with oil or butter. Place the acorn squash halves cut-side up, like bowls, in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil or butter and use your fingertips to rub it all over the cut surface and inside of the squash.

Step 6

Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle both halves generously with salt and pepper.

Step 7

Roast in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes. Roast until the halves are caramelized and roasted around the edges, 45 to 60 minutes. You should be able to easily poke a fork or knife all the way through the flesh.

Step 8

Serve. Eat immediately, or cool and refrigerate for up to 5 days.