Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta Recipe
The best way to make roasted pumpkin a lot extra fabulous with little or no effort? A touch of maple syrup for further caramelisation. Kick of recent chilli. Plus a sprinkle of feta and bathe of walnuts! Function a facet, a meal, pile on toast or crostini. It’s scrumptious any which approach!
One thing magical occurs to pumpkin if you roast it. It intensifies the sweetness and caramelises superbly.
I’d fortunately eat it plain. However right here, we step it up a notch with a couple of easy additions that work so properly with pumpkin. A touch of maple syrup for further caramelisation. Plus successful of recent chilli, tender nutty crunchy of walnuts and creamy pops of salty feta….. that is going to be good!
That’s dinner, proper there. Or a mighty scrumptious facet.
Right here’s what it is advisable to make this.
The roasting stuff
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Pumpkin – Any consuming pumpkin. I sometimes use Kent or Jap that are widespread varieties right here in Australia. Don’t use pumpkin meant for Halloween carving, it’s not very nice to eat.
Alternate options – Butternut pumpkin (known as butternut squash within the States) or candy potato!
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Maple syrup – or honey.
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Dried chilli flakes – additionally known as crimson pepper flakes. I exploit the common kind you get from unusual grocery shops however you would completely use Asian or different varieties of chilli flakes. Simply be aware of spiciness!
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Purple onion – substitute common onion, eschalots (US: shallots) or the white a part of inexperienced onions (I usually have bunches within the fridge with the inexperienced components unceremoniously hacked off for garnish functions so am all the time on the lookout for makes use of of the white half).
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Walnuts – Or different nuts of alternative. Almonds and pecans come to thoughts first. Pinenuts, pepitas and different small nuts/seeds would additionally work however I’d toss them in partway by way of cooking in order that they don’t burn into tiny little black (bitter) pellets.
Finishes
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Chilli – That is elective as a result of it’s extra for visible than spiciness, as a result of we get sufficient spiciness from the dried chilli flakes. Massive chillis, just like the cayenne pepper pictured, aren’t very spicy. Good life rule to recollect: the bigger the chilli, the much less spicy it’s!
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Danish feta – That is the feta kind that is a little more creamy than Greek feta. Greek feta additionally works, although I do like the way in which Danish feta type of smears because it semi-melts on contact with the recent pumpkin.
In case you are making to actually impress, go premium by utilizing goats cheese!
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Parsley – For fairly inexperienced end.
It is a recipe that’s extra concerning the finishes. The pumpkin is roasted with onion and walnuts, all tossed with maple syrup. Then as soon as cooked, sprinkle with feta, crimson chilli and parsley. Then get caught in!
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Lower the pumpkin in 2.5cm / 1″ cubes. To do that I reduce into 2.5cm / 1″ slices first. Utilizing a rocking movement as you slice down helps make this straightforward.
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Lower the pores and skin off.
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Then reduce into cubes.
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Pile onto a big paper lined tray with the onion slices and walnuts. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and chilli flakes then unfold it out. The more room between the pumpkin, the higher. If the pumpkin is simply too cluttered, it would stew and go mushy as a substitute of caramelising.
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Roast for half-hour, tossing as soon as on the 20 minute mark, till the pumpkin is gentle golden and cooked by way of. You gained’t get intense golden color on the floor, not like plain roast pumpkin cubes (equivalent to on this recipe), as a result of the maple syrup will burn on the sides of the cubes earlier than the floor goes utterly golden.
Additionally, the onion will get fairly darkish brown. Should you discover on the tossing level that it’s getting a little bit too brown, simply push/pile all of them collectively or bury underneath pumpkin. This may shield them!
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Ending – Give the pumpkin a gently toss to coat it in all of the tasty tray juices. Then switch to a serving platter – single layer is sweet for even sprinkling protection and neat presentation. Sprinkle with recent chilli, feta and parsley, then serve!
I do know I mentioned a single layer presentation appears to be like good and neat. However truly, for max flavour-melding-more-rustic presentation (aka Johnsat type), do a lot of the sprinkling on the tray, reserving some for garnish. Then switch right into a serving bowl. Flavour jumbling will happen throughout switch and piling.
End with reserved feta and so forth to fairly it up.
Whichever approach you go, single layer neatness or jumbled piled up rustic-ness, it nonetheless charges the identical on the deliciousness scale. Which is, in case you hadn’t guessed, very, very excessive.
Inform me in the event you serve this as a facet or inhale it as a meal! – Johnsat x
PS In case you didn’t know I’ve an entire class of pumpkin facet dishes as a part of the vegetable and salad facet dishes nook of this web site! Principally comparatively low effort, like this one, with a scattering of show-offs for particular events.
PPS This isn’t the primary time I’ve mixed pumpkin. See additionally right here and right here.
Ingredients
- 2 lb / 1 kg pumpkin , peeled, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes (whole, unpeeled weight – Note 1)
- 1 red onion , peeled, halved, then cut into 1cm / 0.4" wedges
- 1/2 cup walnuts , roughly chopped (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (sub brown sugar Note 3),
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1 – 1 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes , adjust to taste (Note 4)
- 3/4 cup Danish feta (or Greek feta, or upgrade to goats cheese)
- 1 large red chilli (cayenne pepper), deseeded, finely minced
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Toss – Place the pumpkin, onion and walnuts on a large, paper lined tray. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then toss to coat (hands really is best). Sprinkle with chilli and salt, toss again, then spread out on a tray. Don't crowd them else they will stew instead of roast!
- Roast for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is lightly browned and cooked through, tossing once at the 20 minute mark.
- Finishes – Remove from the oven. Gently toss again, then transfer to a serving platter in a single layer. Crumble over feta, sprinkle with parsley and chilli. Or do the sprinkling on the tray then pile into a bowl. Serve immediately!
Notes
1. Pumpkin – Any type for eating is suitable (not Halloween carving). Or butternut or sweet potato!
2. Nuts- Feel free to use other nuts. Large ones similar size to walnuts will take the same time. If using pine nuts, sunflower seeds or pepitas (or other small nuts), add them halfway through the roasting time.
3. Brown sugar sub – Mix with olive oil then toss to coat.
4. Chilli flakes – 1 1/2 tsp has a decent warm, unmissable hum but not super spicy. 1 tsp is more subtle. Feel free to skip it!
5. Leftovers will keep for 3 days.
Nutrition assuming 6 servings.
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