One of my favorite veggies to roast is pumpkin! This roasted pumpkin recipe ticks every box you can think of! Creamy labne, roasted hazelnuts, delicious sumac rubbed pumpkin cooked to perfection and a pop of delight from the pomegranate arils.
Sponsored by Cape Mantle, Western Australia
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Great as a share plate
- Perfect for vegetarians and meat eaters
- It can be served as a side or main course (maybe add a little bacon!).
- bright and beautiful colors
- Can be prepared in advance for dinner parties
My sumac roasted pumpkin, labneh, toasted hazelnuts and pomegranate dish is one of those showstoppers. Place it in the center of the table with your main course and it will be the first thing people look at. Most of it can be prepared in advance, so all you have to do is roast the pumpkin when guests arrive. Heck, you can even do it in advance and gently warm the roasted pumpkin in the oven 😉
What is sumac?
I had never heard of sumac until I watched a fancy cooking show recently. Not something you see on too many menus back home in Ireland, so when I went to Oz and saw that it was readily available in stores I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it. Son, I was wrong. Not because it is bad. Quite the contrary – it’s delicious and now I want to sprinkle it on everything.
Sumac is a Middle Eastern shrub that produces deep red berries. You’ll usually see it in powder form in stores, but in some places – mainly throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean you may find it in berry form. Its tart flavor is a great way to add some citrus flavor to your dishes at a lower level than just a squeeze of lemon. The good thing is that it has a mild scent so it doesn’t overpower or compete with other scents.
sumac uses
Sumac, essential in Middle Eastern cooking, is actually one of the main ingredients used in making za’atar. Za’atar is commonly used to flavor meat before cooking and is often used as a dip with bread. Sometimes sprinkled on bread as a paste or simply sprinkled on to finish. Sumac works brilliantly with vegetables (like my roasted pumpkin dish), with chicken instead of citrus. Imagine sumac rubbed chicken slow-roasted to perfection on your barbecue. Cue Homer Simpson drooling……the fact that it’s a spice also means it’ll stay fresh longer than citrus. I suggest you go to your local market and try to buy some right away.
Curd Cheese or Labne
Now, it couldn’t be simpler than this. I used to make ricotta at home a lot and thought I was genius – I’m still genius, in case you’re wondering. But making labne is honestly very simple. It’s literally just curd and salt. Obviously you can make it fancy and add some spices, herbs or aromatics as it has a fairly neutral taste. In this recipe I have added garlic and lemon juice a) to enhance the flavor and b) to also bring back that sumac flavor.
So, get yourself a tub of curd, add a little salt to it and refrigerate it in some cheesecloth overnight and suddenly you’re a self-proclaimed cheese maker.
How to Toast Hazelnuts
Now here’s a great tip that will change the way you eat nuts – shhhh don’t tell your partner!! Have you ever eaten hazelnuts straight? They’re not bad but the texture is a bit awkward in my opinion. Not the best but not bad either. Well, turn off the lights because all you have to do is put them in the oven on medium/high heat (at 160 degrees temperature) for about 8-10 minutes and let them toast. You’re left with this gorgeous black exterior and this deliciously crunchy toasted nut to eat. Sprinkle these over roasted pumpkin and labne and call yourself a hero!
Pro Tip – Once toasted, wrap them in a towel, massage those nuts for a minute and you’ll remove the outer layer revealing a beautiful, shiny and delicious toasted hazelnut. PS – Get your mind out of the gutter!
Pumpkin
Now down in the season. I love it. So versatile in its uses. Think roasted in the oven, used for soups, pureed with racks of lamb or used inside some pasta with ricotta. It tastes good in the fall and winter seasons and also allows you to extract maximum flavor when you roast it whole or in larger pieces. People may be a little apprehensive about eating the peel. Roasting these Kent pumpkins or kabocha squash as they are also known with the peel makes them completely edible and, in my opinion, adds a much more rustic look and feel to the dish. If you’re looking for pumpkin or squash inspiration in addition to this delicious Sumac Roasted Pumpkin, check out these recipes below!
- Smoked Pumpkin Hummus
- Pumpkin and Pork Risotto
- Whole Roasted Squash and Herb Oil
- Pumpkin, Ricotta and Sage Pasta By “It’s Not Complicated”
- Warm Lamb Salad By “Chef Not Necessary”
- Hasselback Pumpkin with Brown Butter and Sage by “Belly Rumbles”
If that’s not inspiration for you I don’t know what is!
wine pairing
You can’t have some delicious roasted pumpkin on your table without a wine pairing, can you? Certainly not in this house anyway 😉 This recipe, as mentioned, works great with any grilled meat or roast, but the pairing I’ve chosen is just for the roasted pumpkin dish. However, I am sure you will find many other opportunities to create delicious dishes Cape Mantel Chardonnay!
Cape Mantle – one of the big players of Western Australia and rightfully so! I didn’t feel anything bad about them and I was lucky enough to taste most of the range! Their Chardonnay, with a rating of 95 points, is recognized internationally as an exceptional Chardonnay. This is a wine that shows great potential in the glass when young and will only develop over the next 5-10 years.
Think buttery popcorn, stone fruit, a blend of vanilla and maybe even a touch of pineapple on the nose. The palate offers creamy, citrusy and nutty notes with beautiful textured notes, balanced acidity and great length. This is a “I wish you had 6 n the cellar” type of wine!
Happy cooking and happy eating friends!!
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 243kilo calories
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Material
Pumpkin
- 1 kg Pumpkin cut into wedges
- 2 Ladle A type of plant
- 2 Ladle Honey
- 2 Ladle olive oil
- Salt
- black pepper
Labneh
- 500 Yes whole milk yogurt
- 1 spoon Salt
- 1 clove Garlic crushed
- 1 Ladle lemon juice
Garnish
- 50 Yes Hazelnut
- 1 fist parsley chopped up
- 4 Ladle pomegranate seeds
necessary equipment
-
mixing spoon
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mixing bowl
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sieve
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muslin cloth
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2 baking sheets
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chef knife
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chopping board
Instruction
Pumpkin
-
Cut the pumpkin into wedges – either 4 large or 8 small, depending on the size of the pumpkin. I made 8 x 2″ wedges
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Drizzle with oil, salt and sumac
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Place on a lined baking tray and roast at 180°C for 20 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pumpkin)
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Sprinkle honey over the pumpkin and roast for 10 more minutes
served
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Place the labneh in the center of the plate and swirl to create a “pool” of labneh. Place the pumpkin on top and then spread the chopped hazelnuts, pomegranate and parsley. I also like to use Maldon salt for closing but it is not “required”
notes
Tips & Tricks
- You can cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces for quicker cooking but I like the larger format and simplicity of larger wedges.
- Labneh can be hung for anywhere from a few hours to 24 hours. I think 4-6 hours is the best time for thick creamy curd cheese
- If you don’t have sumac available, you can rub the pumpkin in oil and chili flakes and a squeeze of lemon for something different.
- Keep an eye on the hazelnuts as they will burn easily. I set my alarm for 8 minutes and assess at that point. Don’t want to burn your nuts…
- If you add honey in the beginning it will burn just before 30 minutes of cooking
- If you are looking for an alternative you can use carrots in place of pumpkin
nutrition
Calories: 243kilo calories , Carbohydrates: 22Yes , Protein: 8Yes , thick: 15Yes , Saturated Fat: 4Yes , Cholesterol: 16MG , Sodium: 641MG , Potassium: 721MG , Fiber: 2Yes , Sugar: 15Yes , Vitamin A: 10850iyu , vitamin C: 16.4MG , Calcium: 192MG , Iron: 1.7MG