A sheet-pan supper for squash season

As always, you can find a PDF printable copy of the recipe above the recipe title. 

Delicata squash — it’s so cute and unassuming when you look at it next to some of its relatives, like the massive, droopy Blue Hubbards, the sturdy, jade-toned Kabochas, and the pinky peach-skinned Galeux d'Eysines, which look like they’re covered in peanuts. 

In my mind, I’ve categorized those bigger squash either as “ingredients for weekend cooking” since cutting them up is a project alone or “all-natural home decor that will later be donated to wildlife.”

But the delicata is perfect for the weeknights. About the circumference of a hoagie roll, delicata’s more diminutive size makes it easier to slice and cook quickly. Plus, its thinner skin means it’s a more fleeting treat. Closely related to zucchini and other summer squash varieties, it doesn’t store nearly as long as some of the hardier winter squashes. 

The best-flavored squash will most likely come from your local farmer. And I find that the ones that have orange stripes (or stripes that look like they’re in the process from turning from green-to-orange) taste sweeter. 

This time of year, I love to put roasted vegetables in my salads to make them feel more grounding, so onto a sheet pan the squash goes to roast along with some boneless chicken thighs. 

After a mere 20 minutes, the squash is nearly tender. To encourage the chicken to brown a bit more, I like to brush them with some of the juices on the pan before the final five minutes of cooking. (If you have a little extra time, you could cook for another five minutes to encourage even more browning.)

Like a lot of my “five-ingredient” recipes, this one relies on a jar of something that contains multiple ingredients. In this case, it’s za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend named after its main ingredient — a Middle Eastern variety of oregano. In the blend, you often find dried herbs and sesame seeds as well as sumac, which comes from a puckery dried berry and gives everything it touches a lemony brightness. 

While once limited to specialty shops, you can now find za’atar at many supermarkets. Spice company behemoth McCormick’s makes a version, but I especially love this one from NY Shuk.

Almost every week, I find myself making some version of a za’atar roasted chicken because the blend makes it taste like you’ve labored over a meal when really, you just opened a jar. In the oven, the za’atar rub becomes almost smoky-tasting while the zippy flavor of the sumac shines through. 

To tie the dish together, I toss the squash with some sherry vinegar — which has a deep flavor without the overt sweetness of balsamic. 

A little peppery arugula makes good use of the remaining chicken juices on the pan and gets served as a bed under the squash.