One of my all time favorite Paleo side dishes is roasted delicata squash.  I like it sweet - sprinkled with cinnamon and a bit of pink salt and eaten alongside some fried eggs and avocado for a well-rounded breakfast.  And I like it savory - seasoned with dried herbs, onion powder, garlic powder and salt; similar to these Oil-Free Roasted Delicata Squash Rings.

Delicata squash is a winter squash and is available during the fall and winter months.  This is one of my favorite squash varieties in terms of taste, texture, and how easy it is to prepare.  Delicata squash is easy to cut (I've definitely run into some struggles with other varieties like butternut and acorn) and tastes sweeter than many varieties.  Once cooked, it has a soft, tender skin; meaning you don't need to cut or peel off the skin (big time-saver).  It works well incorporated into both sweet and savory dishes (have you tried my Delicata Squash Pancakes?) and you can either scoop out the innards or bake and eat them as well (like I did for this recipe).

When searching for a good Delicata squash, you want to find one that feels heavy for its size and has an even creamy skin color with yellow and green stripes on its rind.  Delicata squash have a shorter shelf life than other winter squashes (why you can't find them year round) but should last well up to 3 months in your pantry.

Easy Oil Free Roasted Delicata Squash

Ingredients

• 1 delicata squash
• pink salt
• onion powder
• dried thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Wash delicata squash then cut into rings.  Optional: remove seeds
3. Lay squash rings on parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Sprinkle squash with desired amount of salt, onion powder and dried thyme.
5. Place squash on bottom rack of oven and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
6. Optional: move squash to middle rack of oven and broil on high for 3-5 minutes for extra crispness.

Recipe serves 2

Using a sturdy knife, cut delicata squash into rings.  You may scoop out the innards/seeds or keep them as-is.

Place squash rings on parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with desired amount of salt, onion powder and thyme.  Feel free to play around with different seasonings as you see fit.

Place squash on bottom rack of preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Optional: After baking, move squash to middle rack of oven and broil on high for a few minutes.

Plate and eat alone or serve as a side dish.  Any leftover squash should be stored in the fridge.

This is a tasty Whole 30 approved side dish or snack and can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge to be eaten throughout the week.  Leftovers work well eaten alone, tossed in a salad or chopped and added to an omelet.