Roasted Pumpkin Recipe (With Step by Step)

Servings:

2

Roasted pumpkin is so easy to make and versatile to use. Simply halve a pie pumpkin, scoop out the seeds, drizzle the flesh with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Then roast the halves face down on a baking sheet. The pumpkin roasts in less time than butternut squash, and roasting brings out the sweetness of the pumpkin flesh. Serve a half pumpkin to eat out of the shell, or cut it into slices for a side dish. Alternatively, you can puree the roasted flesh to make pumpkin puree for soups, pasta sauces, pumpkin pie, and more.

The Best Pumpkins for Roasting

When it comes to roasting, some types of pumpkin are much better than others. Generally, large showy pumpkins that make great porch decor or jack-o'-lanterns are not the best candidates for roasting—they are large, unwieldy, and their flesh is often tough and not so tasty.

The best pumpkins for roasting are smaller, weighing between 2 and 6 pounds. They are sold as pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins because they are best for culinary use. They have sweet, flavorful flesh that is smooth.

6 Ways to Use Roasted Pumpkin

Roasted pumpkin makes a great side dish when cut into slices, or cut the cooked flesh into cubes to use in a pasta or a winter salad. Alternatively, you can use your roasted pumpkin in any recipe that calls for fresh pumpkin puree. Scrape the roasted flesh out of the shell and whiz in your food processor or high-speed blender to make a puree for recipes such as:

Microwave Variation

Need a shortcut? Try this quick fix:

Place a pumpkin half, cut side down, on a plate and microwave it on high for about 15 minutes, checking occasionally. (The exact time needed will vary with size.)

You'll have sweet, softened flesh for a fresh pumpkin puree in a third of the time.

Directions

Roasted pumpkin ingredients — Credit:
Rachel Marek

Preheat oven and prep pumpkin:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut pumpkin in half; scrape out seeds.

Credit:
Rachel Marek
Add oil and season:

Drizzle pumpkin with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. (Omit pepper if using in sweet dishes.)

Credit:
Rachel Marek
Roast pumpkin:

Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast until very soft, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Credit:
Rachel Marek

Storing Roasted Pumpkin

Store the roasted pumpkin (whether halves or puree) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you roast pumpkins skin up or down?

We roast pumpkins skin up and face down. The pumpkin halves are placed on a baking sheet, cut side down and skin up. We do this because the cut sides are flat.
Do you peel pumpkin before baking?

No, we do not peel the pumpkin before baking when we are roasting halved pumpkins. Similarly, we would not peel half a butternut or acorn squash for roasting. But if we are roasting cubes of pumpkin, then we would peel the pumpkin before cutting it into cubes to roast.
What part of the pumpkin is not edible?

All parts of the pumpkin are edible, except for the stalk, but some parts are more desirable than others—and some types of pumpkin are more flavorful than others. The skin of a pumpkin is safe to eat but not always tempting; some pumpkins have thick skin, which is less appetizing. Generally, larger, more decorative pumpkins have less flavorful flesh that does not cook as well.