Herb-roasted pumpkin

October is pumpkin month and, just days before Halloween, the market stalls are full of squashes of every shape. Roasted with rosemary, thyme and sage, pumpkin becomes a sweet, savoury side dish with caramelised edges: simple, colourful and perfect next to autumn mains.

Servings: 4 people · Prep time: 15 minutes · Cooking: 30 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• Delica or butternut squash (cleaned flesh): 1 kg
• Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons
• Garlic: 2 cloves
• Fresh rosemary: 2 sprigs
• Fresh thyme: 4 sprigs
• Sage: 4-5 leaves
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano: 30 g
• Fresh parsley: 1 small bunch
• Fine salt and black pepper: to taste

Method

1. Prepare the pumpkin. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and stringy fibres and cut the flesh into even cubes of about 2 cm, so that they cook evenly.
2. Make the herb oil. Finely chop the rosemary, thyme and sage, crush the garlic cloves with their skins on and mix everything with the oil, salt and pepper.
3. Season. Put the pumpkin in a large bowl, pour over the herb oil and toss with your hands until every cube is well coated.
4. Spread on the tray. Spread the pumpkin on a baking tray lined with parchment paper in a single layer, without overlapping: this way it roasts instead of steaming.
5. Roast. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 200 °C for about 30 minutes, turning the cubes halfway through, until tender and golden at the edges.
6. Gratinate. For the last 5 minutes sprinkle the pumpkin with Parmigiano and let it turn golden. Take it out of the oven and discard the garlic.
7. Serve. Finish with chopped parsley and a drizzle of raw olive oil. Excellent with roasts, sausages, grilled meat or aged cheeses.

Chef’s tips

• Delica and butternut are the best choices: sweet, firm and easy to peel.
• For a vegan version, leave out the Parmigiano and add toasted pumpkin seeds.
• It keeps in the fridge for 2 days and is also lovely cold in a salad or a frittata.

Nutrition facts

• Energy: 150 kcal
• Protein: 5.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 11 g (of which sugars 6.3 g)
• Fat: 9.9 g (of which saturates 2.5 g)
• Fibre: 2.5 g
• Salt: 1.1 g

Approximate values per serving (recipe serves 4), estimated from the ingredients using food composition tables.

Photo: DC Central Kitchen · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons