Spicy Roasted Pumpkin

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 02/14/23
Roasted spiced pumpkin

The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 6 servings

How many ways to cook pumpkin and squashes? The ways of cooking and the recipes are endless. Our favorite is to roast these beauties. Whether it is a flaming orange, autumn pumpkin, sweet yellow butternut, button-sized Potirons or beautiful, knobbly Turks Head when it comes to cooking, we like them roasted. The oven-cooking intensifies both the flavor and color whilst softening, the sometimes rock hard flesh. There are some types, like the Potimarron (Red Kuri) pumpkin where it is even possible to eat the flesh, making for an even more interesting dish.

The picture in this recipe shows the roasted Red Kuri squash but you choose your favorite. The recipe is the same for all, though the cooking time may take longer if it is a hard variety.

The roasted pumpkin can be eaten simply, straight from the oven as a side vegetable, or use the cooked pumpkin in your favorite recipes or any time a recipe calls for cooked pumpkin.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-sized pumpkin, or squash

  • Sea salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mace, or ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 pinch dried chili flakes

  • 1 sprig fresh thyme

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or rice bran oil

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 220 C / 425 F/ Gas 7

  2. Carefully wash the pumpkin or squash and dry thoroughly.

  3. Using a long, sharp knife carefully cut the pumpkin or squash into wedges or slices depending on the shape. Be careful when cutting as the pumpkin can easily slip, to make it easier put it onto a damp tea towel to help prevent it from slipping.

  4. Lay the wedges on to a large, roomy baking tray. The slices must be one layer and not overlapping. If you have more slices than can fit in one layer, then use two or more trays.

  5. Generously season with sea salt and black pepper.

  6. Sprinkle the mace, paprika and the thyme evenly over the wedges.

  7. Pour over the oil then roll the slices or wedges in the oil to make sure they are all well covered.

  8. Place the tray(s) into the preheated oven.

  9. Roast for between 30 and 40 minutes, longer if the pumpkin needs it. The skin should be slightly blistered and the flesh soft when pierced with a sharp knife.

  10. Remove the tray (s) from the oven and leave the pumpkin to cool ever so slightly then serve.

  11. If the skin is edible, then leave it on, otherwise, remove the skin, it should slip away quite easily. 

  12. Or, cool the slices completely and use the lovely enhanced flavor in all your favorite recipes. The roasted pumpkin can also be pureed.

  13. You can also cook the pumpkin without the paprika and chili if you wish. The mace, salt and pepper is a must, though.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
97 Calories
3g Fat
19g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 97
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 53mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 18mg 90%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 878mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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