Baking pumpkin is one of the easiest things I know and it turns out perfectly. And now that I know this truth, I wonder why, why didn’t I learn it earlier??
I have to thank my sister-in-law, who one day sent me a photo of her baked pumpkin (hers was a green-skinned pumpkin), and convinced me to try it. My sister-in-law’s recipes are always a guarantee, you can’t not try them, so much so that I even suggested she start a blog! 😀 But I’m afraid for now you’ll have to continue to put up with some of her recipes remade by me… obviously without added salt… because yes, baked pumpkin works wonderfully without salt, trust me! Just season it with a little rosemary and a clove of garlic and you get a baked pumpkin that’s finger-licking good.
So good that even those husbands who say “I don’t like pumpkin” end up asking for seconds.
And if these aren’t satisfactions, then what are!? 😃
👇 Some of my pumpkin recipes:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
👉 I used a violina pumpkin. It is an elongated variety with a rough skin.
The violina and the butternut (which is similar but with smooth skin) are the two varieties of pumpkin I prefer, simply for practicality reasons, as they can be cut without too much effort given their not excessive dimensions.
- yellow pumpkin (type butternut or violina)
- garlic
- rosemary
- extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
Steps
Wash the pumpkin well.
After baking, the skin will become tender and can be eaten, which I highly recommend you do.I recommend washing the pumpkin very well, perhaps scrubbing it with a brush (especially if the skin is rough).
Slice the pumpkin while resting it on a cutting board.
For the thickness of the slices, adjust according to your taste; I prefer to slice them thinly (about 1/4 inch) so that I have the certainty that the skin is well cooked. Also, in this way, the cooking time will be reasonable, even though the skin takes a bit longer than the flesh.
Arrange the slices on a baking tray covered with parchment paper, overlapping them slightly.
Sprinkle the chopped garlic and rosemary over the slices.
You can chop the rosemary together with the garlic, or you can use whole needles so that you can remove them at the end of cooking if desired.
Finish with a drizzle of oil, a light touch will suffice, and bake at 392°F.
The cooking time, as I mentioned, can vary based on the thickness of the slices and the variety of pumpkin. My pumpkin cooked in 25 minutes.Naturally, if the idea of eating the skin does not appeal to you, you can peel it before cooking, or simply remove it after cooking using the tip of a knife.
It’s a really easy side dish, healthy because it’s cooked simply and without fats, a perfect diet dish but also suitable as a side dish for festive days, and it’s ideal for children and the elderly, because after cooking, the pumpkin becomes very tender (and the skin becomes tender too).
Come on, what are you waiting for to try it? 😉
☝ You can find all my pumpkin recipes in this collection 👉 Pumpkin Recipe Collection
Salt-Free Tips
I’ve already told you in the introduction that baked pumpkin works great without salt… so no need to repeat it here, right? 😃
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Gradually decrease the salt, the palate must get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid water cooking, prefer methods that retain flavors (griddle, foil, steam, microwave).
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
Follow Me!
On the WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on my Facebook page, on my Pinterest boards, in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Just what I was looking for! and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter
On the WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on my Facebook page, on my Pinterest boards, in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Just what I was looking for! and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter
