You know the chilly months are coming when pumpkins start appearing on supermarket shelves. They’re the quintessential cold weather vegetable – perfect for warming soups, tossed into salads and as a side for hearty roast dinners.

All about pumpkin

Pumpkin is part of the squash family. There are two broad types of squash – summer squash and winter squash – and pumpkin falls into the latter. Winter squash are harvested at the mature stage when their rind is tough, as opposed to summer squash varieties like zucchini which are harvested when their skin is soft and edible.

Pumpkin’s robust skin means they keep well for long periods of time. Uncut pumpkins can be stored in a cool, dry place, while cut pumpkins are best kept in the fridge.

The most common varieties of pumpkin you’re likely to see in Australia are:

• Kent pumpkin (aka. Jap pumpkin) – these have a flat top and ribbed rind with green and yellow patches
• Butternut pumpkin – are long and cylindrical with light orange skin
• Queensland blue – have a blue/grey-tinged skin, as the name suggests

Cooking with pumpkin

As a naturally sweet ingredient, pumpkin suits both sweet and savoury dishes. It’s more commonly used as a savoury ingredient – roasted, mashed and in filled pastas, risotto, soups and salads. In desserts, pumpkin pairs well with warming spices like ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.

I like cooking with butternut or kents at home because they’re so versatile and readily available. When I think of pumpkins the first thing that comes to mind is pumpkin soup, which Mum makes all the time in winter. Roast pumpkin is another go-to in our household as roasting brings out its sweet, earthy flavour. I’ve also made a Thanksgiving-style pumpkin pie and a veggie-packed spiced pumpkin loaf.

Read on for some pumpkin recipe inspiration!

Ottolenghi-inspired Roast Pumpkin

I fell in love with Yottam Ottolenghi’s vegetable dishes when we visited Nopi in London. He infuses so much flavour and texture into his recipes, and there’s one in particular featuring pumpkin that I wanted to try making.

The following recipe is inspired by the butternut squash on the menu at Nopi, served with ginger tomatoes and lime yoghurt when we visited. I’ve done a simpler version of the original dish, with the same roasted pumpkin and yoghurt dressing but different toppings. I’ve left out the ginger tomatoes – it’s one less element to prepare which makes everything easier if you’re short on time.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut pumpkin, washed, deseeded and cut into 2cm wedges (you can leave the skin on if you like, keep the seeds for roasting)
• 1/2 cup greek-style yoghurt
• 1/2 a lime, zested and juiced
• 1/3 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
• Fried shallots
• Coriander, coarsely chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celcius (fan-forced). Place the butternut wedges on a lined baking tray, drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of oil, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden and a little caramelised around the edges.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 180 degrees celcius. Toss the pumpkin seeds in a teaspoon of oil, place on a lined baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy and golden. Add cashews to the tray in the final 8 minutes of baking. Let cool.
3. Mix the yoghurt, lime zest and juice and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small box until combined. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
4. Place the cooled pumpkin wedges on a large platter, drizzle over the lime yoghurt and scatter with the toasted pumpkin seeds and cashews. Top with coriander, and as much fried shallots as you like.

Spiced Pumpkin Loaf

Loaf cakes are one of my go-to bakes when I feel like a sweet treat but don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. It’s easy to assume they can only be cooked with fruit or chocolate but this spiced pumpkin loaf recipe is a brilliant way to use the humble pumpkin in a cake.

Steamed, mashed pumpkin goes into the batter, which gives it a lovely orange colour and natural sweetness. Spices add warmth and flaked almonds give it a nice crunch. The recipe is quite healthy – it uses oil instead of butter and both plain and wholemeal flours. Perfect for afternoon tea with a cuppa. You can find the recipe here.

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie isn’t nearly as popular in Australia as it is in the U.S, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying it! The traditional name for this dish is pumpkin pie, it’s baked more like a tart because there’s no pastry on top.

The base is a traditional shortcrust pastry that’s blind baked before being filled. The filling is a mixture of boiled, mashed pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, spices and eggs. The eggs are whipped until voluminous and frothy, which gives the pie a lighter, more aerated filling compared to other recipes. It’s a must-try if you love pumpkin! You can find the recipe here.