Roasted Delicata Squash Quinoa Bowl (Printable)
Cozy grain bowl of roasted delicata squash, fluffy quinoa, spinach and sage brown butter, finished with feta and pepitas.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 medium delicata squash, halved, seeded, and cut into ½-inch half-moons
02 - 1 small red onion, sliced
03 - 2 cups baby spinach leaves
→ Grains
04 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
05 - 2 cups vegetable broth or water
→ Sage Brown Butter
06 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 10 fresh sage leaves
→ Garnishes
08 - ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
09 - ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
11 - Olive oil, for roasting
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss delicata squash and red onion slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and tender.
03 - While vegetables roast, combine quinoa and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
04 - Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown and sage becomes crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning.
05 - Divide quinoa among 4 bowls. Top with roasted delicata squash, red onion, and baby spinach. Drizzle with sage brown butter.
06 - Finish with crumbled feta cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sage brown butter transforms simple ingredients into something that tastes like you spent all day cooking even though you barely broke a sweat.
- Delicata squash skins are completely edible so you never have to wrestle with a vegetable peeler again.
02 -
- The butter can burn in the time it takes you to answer a text message so stay at the stove and watch the color change from yellow to amber.
- Do not crowd the baking sheet or the squash will steam instead of roast and you will miss out on those crispy caramelized edges entirely.
03 -
- Shake the pan occasionally while the sage butter cooks so the leaves crisp evenly and the milk solids brown without sticking to one spot.
- Toasting the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet for two minutes before garnishing doubles their flavor and makes the bowl taste like you planned every single detail.