Don't waste the pumpkins you have hanging around the house post-Hallowe'en — roast them and use that healthy orange flesh in some favourite recipes!
By CINDA CHAVICH
This Hallowe'en season, we had a handy wooden kit to create a sweet Cat-O-Lantern from the big pumpkin we picked up at local Michell's Farm — and after it did its duty as holiday decor, The Cat Came Back in my kitchen.
The wooden bits were removed (ears, nose, eyes, witch's hat — to reuse next year) and the pumpkin was ready to clean and roast in the oven, for pumpkin puree and crunchy pumpkin seeds to enjoy in a variety of new recipes.
Of course, there's always creamy pumpkin soups and pumpkin muffins, but this year we opted for pumpkin gnocchi, my recipe including minced prosciutto and a fresh sage brown butter sauce.
I also scooped out the seeds, washed them well, then tossed them with a little olive oil and salt to roast for a healthy, crunchy snack.
So yes, just like that favourite ditty (that inspired a fun NFB film), The Cat Came Back and now there's loads of roasted pumpkin puree in the freezer, ready for future creations, with no food wasted!
RECIPES:
HOW TO ROAST A PUMPKIN:
Using a sharp knife, cut around the stem and remove
Cut the pumpkin in half, from top to bottom, and scoop the seeds out, scraping all of the stringy bits away.
Place the seeds in a bowl of cold water and rub to wash away the stringy flesh clinging to the seeds. Drain.
You can roast the halves, intact, for mashed/pureed pumpkin, or peel the pumpkin and cut into cubes or wedges, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt, and then roast until tender, but still firm, to serve as a side dish, or to add to stews, curries, risotto, etc.
In either case, you start by lining a large baking pan with parchment. Set the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on the pan (or arrange the cubes or wedges on the pan).
Bake pumpkin in a 350F oven for 45-60 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender and browned (if cubed), or very soft and starting to collapse (if halves).
Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan.
For halved pumpkin, use a large spoon to scrape the flesh away from the skin. Discard skin and drain pulp in a sieve in the sink to remove excess moisture, then mash or puree in blender or food processor.
Use the puree in recipes immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days. For longer storage, divide puree (or roasted cubes) into 1- our 2-cup portions, place in zippered freezer bags, label and freeze to use in future recipes.
PUMPKIN SEEDS:
Wash seeds to remove any stringy flesh.
Drain well and dry with a paper towel.
Place in a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Spread seeds on a baking sheet that's been lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle generously with salt.
Roast in a 350F oven for 20 minutes, until crisp. Remove and cool.
PUMPKIN AND PROSCIUTTO RISOTTO WITH SAGE BUTTER
1 cup cooked pumpkin, mashed or pureed
1 egg, lightly whisked
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
1 cup finely chopped prosciutto
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
1.5-2 cups flour
Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, divided
handful of fresh sage leaves
black pepper
If using fresh roasted pumpkin, place in a sieve and press to drain out most of the moisture.
In a bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, Parmesan, chopped prosciutto, salt and nutmeg .
Use a wooden spoon to beat in the flour, a bit at a time, beating until you have a soft-ish dough that's fairly elastic.
Knead the dough lightly and form into a log shape on a floured work surface, then cut into 6 equal chunks. Roll each into a thick rope, and cut into squares, on a slight angle, using a knife or a pastry scraper. Try to make the gnocchi equal size. Set them aside on a floured baking pan as you finish making all of the gnocchi.
At this point, you can cook the gnocchi or freeze them (in a single layer, to dump into a freezer bag later).
To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, in batches so they're not too crowded, and cook until they rise to the surface (an indication they are cooked). Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place into a buttered baking dish.
To finish gnocchi, heat oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy saute pan until sizzling.
Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan and saute until they begin to brown, 2-3 minutes.
Add the remaining butter to the pan with the sage leaves and cook another couple of minutes, until the gnocchi is golden and the butter is just starting to brown.
Serve gnocchi immediately with extra Parmesan sprinkled over the top. Serves 4.
AND FOR ALL OF THE CAT LADIES, A NEW ANTHEM FOR THE RESISTANCE (LET'S SING ALONG) FROM THE WHIMSICAL BALADEER FRED PENNER:
"But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, we thought she was a goner
But the cat came back, SHE just couldn't stay away
Away, away
Is that cat sound?
Meow, meow, meow, meow"
©Cinda Chavich
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