Apart from French stews and tarte tatin, another comfort food that I turn to in the colder months is roasted vegetables. This one was inspired by a dish I had at a Surry Hills cafe whose name escapes me at the moment. They presented two beautiful thick slices of roasted pumpkin topped with a delicately flavoured breadcrumb mix and a dollop of sour cream. I don't like breadcrumb toppings and pistachios and parsley kept coming to mind. Fortunately, my experiment turned out well so I'm able to share this recipe with you. Let me know how you go. I'm happy to get some suggestions on how to improve it.
Ingredients:
1 kg pumpkin with skin on, cut into thick 3 cm slices
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 c chopped flat parsley
1/4 c pistachio kernels, chopped
1 c grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 c olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a bowl, mix together lemon zest, parsley, pistachios, parmesan and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush pumpkin with olive oil and lay flat on baking tray. Top with a thick layer of crust mix. Roast in oven for 30 mins or until pumpkin is tender. After the first 20 mins of the cooking time, check crust isn't getting too brown. If it is, lower oven temperature or to 180°C and continue to cook for another 10 mins. Serve warm.
Serves 4.
