Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the kabocha squash on a cutting board and turn it on its side. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the top of the squash. Sit the squash upright and carefully cut the squash in half. I find carefully wiggling the blade of the knife back and forth in a rocking motion helps slice through the hearty squash. Be cautious here because winter squash can be fairly challenging to cut, even with a sharp chef’s knife.

Use a sturdy spoon to scoop all of the seeds and stringy flesh out of the squash halves. I find scraping the spoon against the flesh helps release the stringy parts. If you'd like, you can roast kabocha seeds just as you would pumpkin seeds.

Drizzle the flesh with avocado oil. Use your hands to spread the oil over the flesh so that it is well coated. Sprinkle the orange flesh with sea salt and place squash cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Roast kabocha squash for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the flesh is very soft when poked with a fork and golden brown where it came into contact with the sheet pan.

Allow the squash to cool before handling it. Note that the flesh stays hot for quite some time.

Serve and enjoy! I love serving kabocha squash with butter, cinnamon, and pure maple syrup, as these flavors complement each other beautifully. It tastes like dessert!

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.