2013 – Gluten Free Living

This post will provide easy directions for How To Roast Pumpkin. Strange as it may seem, I have been cooking for almost 40 years and I’ve never roasted a pumpkin before! We’ve never set them out at Halloween, and as far as I can remember, my mom never bought them to cook with either. She always used canned pumpkin. Well, I came across a recipe I wanted to make that called for roasted pumpkin so I bought my first pumpkin! And, I roasted it! It really wasn’t that difficult, although, my applause goes to my husband who actually cut the pumpkin down for me. He had the grunt job.

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Actually, roasting pumpkin is quite easy. After cutting the pumpkin off the rind (like watermelon), we cut the pumpkin into one-inch cubes, placed them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper (I’m trying to avoid using aluminum foil like the plague). Then we sprinkled the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and drizzled olive oil over top. We roasted the pumpkin in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 400 and that was it. I set the pumpkin out to cool and used it in a couple of different recipes (which I’ll post in the next few days).

So, this How To Roast Pumpkin recipe is for those, who like me, have never actually roasted pumpkin before. If you’d like to include it in some great recipes and don’t want pureed pumpkin from a can, here’s how to make your own roasted pumpkin. If you have an overabundance of pumpkins from your garden you probably already know how to do this but, just in case, these instructions may prove helpful.

Roasting Pumpkin is not all that difficult to do and it tastes so wonderful.

Here’s what I did.

My husband cut a circle around the top of the pumpkin and removed the core and seeds. Then he cut the pumpkin down into about 8 large pieces. After that he started cutting off the peel.

He’s still working at it here.

He put the large sections of pumpkin here after he finished removing all the peel.

He cut the pumpkin down into one-inch cubes. I placed parchment paper in my cookie sheets and placed the pumpkin on the parchment paper.

Drizzle olive oil over top of the pumpkin cubes. I used quite a bit. I used at least two-three tablespoons of olive oil in each pan.

Now sprinkle the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes or until pumpkin is fork-tender.

I roasted the pumpkin uncovered about 20 minutes before turning the pumpkin over to cook the other side.

Here I’m turning the pumpkin over in the other pan.

Here’s the pumpkin after it is finished roasting. It took about 40 minutes.

Here’s another look at the roasted pumpkin. Allow the pumpkin to cool and use in your favorite recipes like desserts, casseroles or appetizers. I used some of the pumpkin to make Southwestern Grilled Swiss and Pumpkins Sandwiches and Pumpkin Guacamole and Swiss Sandwiches. They were terrific.

Here’s the recipe.

HOW TO ROAST PUMPKIN

(Directions adapted via Taste of Home)

This is one of the recipes I used the roasted pumpkin in. Can you guess what it is?

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