Pumpkin is a healthy and complete food, excellent for preparing a light meal or a side dish. Read the article and find out how to cook it in the oven in different ways: roasted, whole, grilled or steamed.
Ingrediants
Servings 2 - 4.
First method: Roasted Pumpkin
- 1 large yellow pumpkin
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Second method: Whole Pumpkin
- 1 large yellow pumpkin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Third method: Grilled Pumpkin
- 1 large yellow pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Fourth method: Steamed Pumpkin
- 1 large yellow pumpkin
- 125 ml of water
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 2 Teaspoons of cinnamon
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Roasted Pumpkin
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Grease a large, deep baking sheet.
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You can grease it with butter or oil or line it with aluminum foil to prevent the pumpkin from sticking to the bottom.
Step 2. Cut the squash into quarters
Use a sharp, serrated knife and cut it into quarters lengthwise.
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Start by cutting the squash in half, from the stalk down to the base. Move the knife as if using a saw.
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Cut each half into two parts with the same method.
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It is not necessary to peel the pumpkin.
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Remove the fibrous part and seeds with a metal spoon or fruit digger.
Step 3. Place the squash in the pan with the skin side down
Step 4. Season the pumpkin pulp with oil, butter, salt and pepper
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Sprinkle each quarter with a generous amount of oil.
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Divide the butter into four equal parts. Distribute bows on the pulp of each quarter.
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Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. If you're not sure how much you need, start with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper for every quarter of a pumpkin.
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You can choose to add other spices or herbs. For example, you could sprinkle the pumpkin pulp with chopped thyme or parsley or with pink pepper.
Step 5. Cook the squash for 45 to 50 minutes
At the end of cooking the pulp must be easily pierced with a fork.
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Even if not all of the pulp will darken, at the end of cooking, you will be able to see some areas brown, especially those closest to the ends.
Step 6. Remove the squash from the oven
Let it cool slightly before serving it to the table.
Method 2 of 4: Whole Pumpkin
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Prepare a shallow baking sheet.
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You won't need to grease the pan, but if you prefer, you can line it with aluminum foil to prevent the pumpkin from sticking to the bottom.
Step 2. Place the pumpkin in the pan
With a sharp knife, make several holes in the peel.
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Each hole should be about 2, 5 - 5 cm deep and should be about 7 - 10 cm away from the others.
Step 3. Cook for 60 minutes
Once cooked, the pumpkin must be soft enough to be pierced with a fork.
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Do not cover it while cooking.
Step 4. Take it out of the oven and cut it in half vertically
Let it cool down a bit first.
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Wait 10 to 15 minutes for it to cool slightly before cutting it. Otherwise handling it could be very complicated and you could burn yourself.
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Use a serrated knife and cut it vertically from the stem to the base.
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Remove the fibrous part and seeds with a metal spoon or fruit digger.
Step 5. Season the pumpkin and serve it
Sprinkle it with salt and pepper to taste.
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If you're not sure how much salt and pepper you need, start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper for each half.
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If you want you can also sprinkle the pulp with softened butter or extra virgin olive oil.
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If you love pungent flavors, add some lime juice.
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You can make table service easier by cutting the squash into quarters.
Method 3 of 4: Grilled Pumpkin
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C
Line a shallow baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Step 2. Peel the pumpkin and slice it
Use a sturdy vegetable peeler and then cut the squash with a serrated knife into slices of about 2.5 cm.
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Cut about 2 cm from the stem and the bottom. Discard the ends.
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Choose a notched vegetable peeler and peel the pumpkin until you discover the orange pulp underneath.
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Remove the fibrous part and the seeds with a metal spoon or fruit digger.
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Each slice should be about 2.5cm thick and as long as the height of the pumpkin.
Step 3. Drizzle with oil
Sprinkle the pumpkin slices with oil.
- Extra virgin olive oil is ideal, but you can also use a different oil, the important thing is that it is of excellent quality.
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Pour some into the bottom of the pan, dip each slice in the oil and then turn it upside down so that it is seasoned on both sides.
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Finish seasoning the pumpkin slices by sprinkling them with oil directly from above.
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If you want, you can use a cooking spray on the slices.
Step 4. Add salt to taste
Sprinkle the slices with salt; if you are unsure of the amount to use, start with about 1/2 - 1 tsp.
Step 5. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes
The slices should begin to brown along the ends.
Step 6. When they have reached the desired color, flip them over and cook on the other side
Add more salt and cook for another 15 minutes.
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Flip the hot pumpkin slices over using kitchen tongs.
Step 7. Turn on the oven grill
If you can set the temperature of your grill select a low level.
Step 8. Grill the pumpkin for 5 minutes
The pulp will have to partially darken.
Keep an eye on your pumpkin. If some slices are ready before the others, remove them from the pan
Step 9. Serve it hot
Let the pumpkin slices cool for 5 minutes and then immediately bring them to the table.
Method 4 of 4: Steamed Pumpkin
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Prepare a glass dish measuring approximately 25 x 35 cm.
There is no need to grease or line the dish
Step 2. Cut the pumpkin in half
Use a sharp, serrated knife and cut it lengthwise.
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Cut it from the stem to the base.
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It is not necessary to peel it.
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Remove the fibrous part and seeds with a metal spoon or fruit digger.
Step 3. Place the two halves in the dish and add some water
The cut side should be facing down. Add about 125ml of warm water.
The water will prevent the pumpkin from sticking to the bottom of the pan and, by creating steam, will facilitate cooking
Step 4. Cover the pumpkin with aluminum foil
Carefully line the surface of the dish with aluminum foil.
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If you're using non-stick paper, make sure the non-stick side is facing the pumpkin.
- Pinch the paper around the edges of the pan to seal it.
Step 5. Cook for 60 minutes
Once cooked, the pumpkin must be soft enough to be pierced with a fork.
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You may not notice any changes in the color of the pulp.
Step 6. Mix the pulp with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon
If you wish, empty the pumpkin and put the pulp in a large bowl. Mash it with a potato masher and then add the other ingredients, mix them patiently to incorporate them into the softened pulp.
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Wait several minutes before handling the hot pulp just out of the oven.
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You can serve the pumpkin pulp whole or mash it with a potato masher. If you decide not to crush it, cut it into pieces of the desired size. Season with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon, or try different seasonings like salt and pepper.