This roasted pumpkin recipe is an easy fall dish that can be prepared savory or sweet. Pair as a side dish with meats or as a vegetarian main dish. It can also be used as an ingredient in your other fall recipes.
Anywhere you turn, during the fall months, you can run into a pumpkin. If you’ve never eaten a pumpkin, this may be your year. Not everyone has tried pumpkin in this form and they are missing out. You’ve probably tried pumpkin puree or pumpkin filling, but have you ever tried it baked in the oven?
The first time I ever tried oven-roasted pumpkin, I was at a friend’s house. She had made it for our gathering. I love pumpkin but had never tried it in this form before. I was glad that I tried it because it’s super delicious and something I make every year. In fact, it’s the most requested dish at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Pumpkin: Sweet or Savory?
I think it’s important to note that pumpkin can be both sweet and savory! Pumpkin is actually a very easy squash to roast. Some would say that it is the easiest squash to roast. So, once you decide that it’s super easy to make, you can also decide how you want to make it. If you want more of a dessert type pumpkin, go for the sweet.
If you prefer a more savory version of pumpkin, then go for the savory. Savory pumpkin is a great fall side dish.
How to Make a Savory Roasted Pumpkin
If you’d like to make savory pumpkin, you may be wondering what to put in it. I simply add olive oil and salt. You can add other spices as you see fit. Some people even like their pumpkins a little spicy, which is something I’d like to try in the future.
Play around the seasonings and spices you have on hand and you’ll be able to make a savory roasted pumpkin in no time.
How to Make a Sweet Roasted Pumpkin
Not craving a savory pumpkin? Go for the sweet roasted pumpkin, you’ll love it. All I do to mine, to make it sweet, add cinnamon and sugar (white or brown)! You can even skip the sugar and use a drizzle with honey after baking, if desired. If you prefer a low carb version, you can use Stevia instead of sugar.
You can’t go wrong with a pumpkin cooked sweet! It’ll taste seasonally appropriate and so delicious.
How to Roast Pumpkin
Now that you know some of your options, you can now start roasting the actual pumpkin. This is probably the easiest thing you’ll ever do in your life, when it comes to cooking. Some people are intimidated by pumpkins, but you don’t have to be.
You will want to start this pumpkin party, by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.
You will then want to line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Easy peasy, right?
Slice the pumpkin in half and clean out seeds. Okay, so cleaning out the seeds might be the hardest part, but it’s not impossible.
TIP: don’t throw away the pumpkin seeds – make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with them! We have all the best tips and advice on how to roast pumpkin seeds.
Slice the pumpkin into wedges and place them on the cookie sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. This is the savory pumpkin version that we talked about earlier.
Bake for 15-20 min or until pumpkin is soft with a fork. Poking the pumpkin with my fork is my favorite!
Cool completely. Trust me, you’ll want to wait until it’s completely cool to eat it. Although, it’ll be very tempting to try it, while it’s warm.
Other Tips for Roasting a Pumpkin
When it comes to roasting a pumpkin, there are a few other things you should know. While it’s hard to mess up roasting a pumpkin, we’ve been there and know that cooking can go awry at any moment.
Set an alarm: When I’m cooking in the kitchen, I make sure I am setting an alarm. When it comes to roasting a pumpkin, you don’t want to overcook it. Set an alarm to keep everything running smoothly.
Choose a smaller pumpkin: When I’m roasting a pumpkin, I make sure I roast a smaller pumpkin. I find the smaller pumpkins overall easier to roast.
Have you ever roasted pumpkin? I would love to hear about your recipe for roasted pumpkin? Is it similar to mine?
Want more pumpkin recipes? Check out these delicious recipes below:
PrintRoasted Pumpkin Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 25 min
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 small pumpkin
Olive oil
Salt
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the pumpkin in half and clean out seeds. Slice the pumpkin into wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake for 15-20 min or until pumpkin is soft with a fork. Cool completely.
Ann says
My grandma’s obsessed with roasted pumpkin. This is something she could never get bored of. I adore pumpkin too but have never tried it in this form before. Grandma’s coming to visit us soon, and I’m planning to make it for her (wanna please her). Seems like a super responsible task, but hope I’ll succeed. Gonna follow your recipe precisely. Dying to see the result (and taste it). Thank you for all of the useful tips! Learned so much new info. I’m sure it will help me a lot.
★★★★★