Roasted kabocha pumpkin, whipped ricotta, crisp prosciutto, sweet pea pesto, and toasted pumpkin seeds.
I originally intended this dish to be vegetarian. But like so many other dishes, during its evolution, crispy cured pork just seemed like the perfect addition. That doesn’t mean this dish will be bad without it, quite the contrary. It’s delicious either way, but the saltiness of the pork enhances the other flavors.
This dish is fairly simple, and all of the components can be made in advance. Making it a great dish for meal prep or entertaining. Store all of the components separately in the refrigerator until ready to serve, except for the prosciutto and toasted pumpkin seeds. Keep them both in airtight containers at room temperature. If the prosciutto starts to soften, pop it back into the oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp. You may also want to warm the pumpkin for about 10 minutes before serving. The pesto will stay fresh for several days, but it will start losing its color after a day or two.
I roasted kabocha pumpkin for this dish. Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin that is readily available in my area. Butternut, acorn, or delicata are suitable substitutions if you can’t find kabocha. As you can see from the pictures, I left the skin on. The skin helps the pumpkin keep its shape and gives the presentation depth of color.
Roasted Pumpkin with Pea Pesto
Ingredients
Roasted Pumpkin
- 2 1/2 pound kabocha pumpkin deseeded and cut into 20 wedges
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Whipped Ricotta
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Pea Pesto
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds plus extra for garnish
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup arugula
- 1/8 cup basil chopped
Roasted Pumpkin with Pea Pesto
- 4 wedges pumpkin
- 5 slices prosciutto
- 1/4 cup sunflower sprouts or pea shoots
- 1/4 cup arugula
- 1/8 cup whipped ricotta
- 1-2 tbsp pea pesto
- 1 drizzle olive oil
Instructions
Roasted Pumpkin
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment. Deseed and slice the pumpkin. Divide between the two sheet pans, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes then rotate. Bake for 25 more minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
Whipped Ricotta
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
Pea Pesto
- In a 350 degree oven toast the pumpkin seeds for 5-7 minutes. Cool and place in a food processor with the peas, arugula, basil, salt, and pepper. Chop until everything is a fine paste. Mix with olive oil and refrigerate until ready to use.
Roasted Pumpkin with Pea Pesto
- Place the prosciutto on a lined sheet pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until crisp. Cool and crumble. Smear the ricotta on a plate. Mix the sunflower sprouts and arugula and place on the plate. Top the greens with 4 pieces of pumpkin. Dollop with pesto and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with prosciutto and pumpkin seeds.
