This is a go- to Fall recipe for me. I make it often. Delicata squash is my absolute favorite and I love that you can roast it with the skin on (less work). The delicata squash softens up when roasted, and the shaved raw fennel adds texture. The vegetables are tossed with a simple vinaigrette made with oranges, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper. (If you don’t have an orange, lemon works too.)  I scatter roughly chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds on top and add a few of the green sprigs of fennel to round out the dish and add a pop of pretty color.

I wish I could remember where I found this recipe, or find the actual recipe itself, but I saw it in a magazine years ago (Dr. Oz? Real Simple? Cooking Light? Bon Appetite?) and now I just do it based on memory. Google is failing me, so here is how I make it!

Roasted Delicata Squash with Shaved Fennel, Pomegrate Seeds and Pistachios

Ingredients

• 2 small delicata squash
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 fennel bulb
• Seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cut delicate squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice in 1/4 inch crescent moon slices.

3. Toss delicata squash with 3 tbsp olive oil on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and roast until tender and lightly browned (15-20 minutes), stirring a couple times during the cooking process.

4. Using a mandoline, thinly shave fennel bulb. Set aside.

5. Make the vinaigrette – squeeze 1 tbsp of fresh orange juice into a small bowl. Add 1 tsp of maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper and whisk in remaining olive oil (around 1 tbsp- you don’t need much since the squash is already tossed in quite a bit of oil).

7. When the squash is out of the oven, you can add the shaved fennel straight onto the baking sheet and toss with the dressing to mix everything up. Transfer all vegetables to a platter and scatter pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Garnish with a few green sprigs of fennel and some fresh cracked pepper.