This weekend I did something I have never done before.
This sweet little “pie pumpkin” had been sitting in my produce basket for quite some time now just waiting for me to take the plunge and roast my very first pumpkin.
I absolutely adore fall squash like butternut, delicata, and acorn and I love pumpkin puree added to just about anything so I was excited to cook up my very first pumpkin.
Now, I know that cutting a fall squash is not the easiest thing in the world, but I can cut open a decent squash all on my own and I have carved many pumpkins in my day….but pie pumpkin is different!
The outer layer on this thing was THICK, and I literally thought we were going to have to chisel our way through until I found this article from The Kitchn outlining “How to Cut a Pumpkin.” Thank goodness I am not the only one who had difficulties with this task!
While the outer layer is a bit thicker than a normal carving pumpkin and other fall squash, it is not impossible to cut through…just be patient and persistent and follow the steps outlined in The Kitchn’s post 
Once Brian cracked open the pumpkin (yes I had my husband help!) we had to scoop out the seeds.
I simply spritzed the inside of the pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkled a bit of salt and pepper.
I then flipped it upside down on the baking sheet and allowed it to cook for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
While the pumpkin was cooking I whipped up a delicious recipe for Red Wine Risotto with Roasted Pumpkin that I found on the back of a vegetable stock box that I purchased at The Fresh Market. Once the pumpkin was roasted, I scooped it out of the rind and mixed it into the risotto as the recipe instructed to do.
I cannot even begin to describe to you how delicious and satisfying this meal was!
This meal absolutely screamed fall and would make an excellent side dish for Thanksgiving. Brian and I even omitted the parmesan because we were out, and we did not miss a thing. Seriously, I am keeping this recipe and definitely making it again.
Yum! Just looking at these pictures is making me hungry.
Question of the Day:
- Have you ever roasted a pumpkin? Did you have a difficult time cutting into it too?
Of Possible Interest:
- Yoga for Running – 3 Poses to Practice Now! via Cotter Crunch
- 8 Detox Superfoods of Fall via Fitsugar
- Curried Sweet Potato Soup via The Lean Green Bean
- Childhood Music Lessons May Offer Lifelong Benefits via MSN Healthy Living
The post The Back of the Box appeared first on Treble in the Kitchen.