I love this time of the year because I LOVE Halloween and cooking with squash. Weather wise I wish I still had my shorts and sandals though.
Pumpkins and squashes can be use in so many different ways it is mind boggling. Every food blog is posting about these vegetables right now. I particularly like using them in cakes and sweets because the texture is then so moist. I also love toasted pumpkin seeds.
But I hate preparing and cutting the pumpkin of squash and I was on the hunt for a shortcut or not possibly cutting my hand off while halving the darn thing. I looked for a recipe to roast the whole thing and it was a success. Now of course the size of you oven will dictate if this is feasable or not with your pumpkin but I had a relatively small one.
After roasting, it looks lacquered and candied
Whole Roasted Pumpkin (or squash)
- Wash and scrub well the outside of your pumpkin to remove all earth or debris.
- Sit the pumpkin on a baking sheet and cover it in with a bit of olive oil
- Roast it in the oven preheated to 400 F for 60 to 90 min.
- Test for doneness by piercing it in a few places with a knife.
Let it cool to touch now before working on it. I cut off the top part and I could literally peel of the skin without a problem. After that you can cut it in two without the fear of loosing a finger. Proceed to clean out the inside….keep your seeds for toasting now (oil, salt, seasoning – bake till golden at 375 F for about 10min). Then use the flesh which ever way you like.
Speaking of scrubs, do you have a favorite outfit to cook in? Chefs have uniforms at work but maybe you have a set of clothing you like to cook in. Comfort and easy cleaning are key. Have you ever thought of hospital scrubs? Here is a great nursing uniforms catalog if you want to check it out. They actually come in all kinds of styles and colors, check out the olive green scrubs. You can get a scrubs complete set for a lot cheaper the a chef’s outfit and it is so easy to clean.
I use a Parmesan knife to halve any squash and it does a great job. I poke and slice…repeat…until I’m done. Then I gut it and lately I started roasting the seeds too! I can’t believe I was throwing the seeds out before.
What do I wear…just about anything other than my work clothes and sometimes I’ll show off in my apron ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
This is a really useful tip: I make a lot of butternut squash this time of year, but cutting and peeling the squash is such a hassle. I’m definitely trying this next time – I bet roasting boosts the flavour a lot, too!
This is so cool! I hate having to cut squashes open before roasting… it’s so tough! i usually make Jake do it LOL. This is a great way to make it easier… I bet it would work with squash, too!
I recently read where someone not only leaves the skin on, but eats it as well. I’m definitely going to give this a go.
As far as cook wear, I have a Chef coat, but never use it at home. I guess after working in the industry for so long and coming home with ruined suits/slacks/blouses/dresses I FINALLY learned to work without mucking up my cloths. YAY!
~Mary
Oh, and what I meant to say was that I have 3 or 4 aprons, but never wear them, and consequently all my clothes are stained.
I usually cut and seed my pumpkins and other squashes before roasting, but I always roast spaghetti squash whole. Not sure why. I want to make a whole pumpkin roasted with filling. Mmm.
🙂