Roasted pumpkin with candied almonds

Prep. Time: 20 min - Cook Time: 40 min - Total Time: 60 min - Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Pumpkin:

  • 1 pupkin, 1kg

  • 2 whole garlic cloves, unshelled

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • Chili flakes

  • smoked paprika

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • fresh asparagus (10 pieces)

  • 250g cherry tomatoes, half sliced

  • 50g dried cranberries

Candied almonds:

  • 1 cup almonds

  • 2 tbsp. butter (margarine)

  • 6 tbsp brown sugar

Vinaigrette

  • 1 spring onions, finely chopped

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1/2 lime, juiced

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/3 cup feta cheese (or vegan version)

  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Pumpkin

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. Cut the pumpkin lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

  3. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with olive oil, and season with chili flakes, parika, salt and black pepper.

  4. Place the pumpkin slices on baking sheets in the oven for 20 minutes with the whole garlics aside, until soft. Retire from oven and remove the garlic cloves and use them for the vinagrette (see below).

  5. Wash the asparagus stalks thoroughly, and cut off the ends.

  6. Place the cherry tomatoes, asparagus and pumpkin slices 10 minutes more in the oven until just tender.

Caramelized almonds:

  1. In a cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add almonds and sugar.

  2. Let it cook for 10 minutes (until sugar melts and nuts are golden brown) stirring constantly.

  3. Set aside.

Vinaigrette and ensemble

  1. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves and mix them with lime juice, spring onions, salt, freshly ground black pepper and olive oil and spoon this vinaigrette into the pumpkin.

  2. Crumble the feta cheese over the top, together with, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, cranberries and almonds.

Natalia Rojas