Maple Cinnamon Hasselback Delicata Squash is elegance with ease! The soft skin of delicata squash is edible when roasted, which means no peeling! Serve it as a side dish or as part of your favorite salad, for a simple dish fancy enough for the holidays.
Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack placed in the upper third of the oven.
Halve the delicata squash lengthwise and use a spoon to remove and discard the seeds. Rub the skin and flesh of the delicata squash with olive oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish cut side down and roast for about 10 minutes, or until it is just starting to become soft and a paring knife easily inserts to about 1/4-inch.
While the squash is softening in the oven, make the glaze. Combine the maple syrup, olive oil, sherry vinegar, rosemary, cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is just thick enough to coat a spoon. Lower heat to keep warm.
Remove the squash from the oven and let it cool slightly before handling. Transfer the squash to a cutting board and make thin slices crosswise into the squash, but without cutting all the way through. I like to place chopsticks on either side of the squash and use that to guide my knife from cutting all the way.
Place the squash back into the baking dish. Strain the glaze and give the squash a brush before returning to the oven. Continue roasting for about 20 more minutes, basting about every 5 minutes, until the squash is tender.
Serve on its own or with a simple salad, topped with nuts and your favorite toppings. It’s also delicious with my Cranberry, Kale and Walnut Salad.