Pumpkins aren’t just for carving. Roasted just right in the oven and you can do a million things with cooked pumpkin flesh.

So, today I wanted to share my go-to ‘how to roast pumpkin’ method.

How to Roast Pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet or 13×9 pan with parchment paper

2. Next wash/rinse the entire pumpkin

3. Pry or cut off the stem

4. With a sharp cleaver or chef’s knife—cut the pumpkin in half

5. Remove the seeds (save for making toasted pumpkin seeds)

6. Place your pumpkin with the inside down on the tray

7. Pierce each half several times with a fork or knife

8. Put in the oven and bake accordingly

Approximately 30 minutes for acorn-sized squash | Approximately 45 minutes for anything larger | Check pumpkin by piercing with a fork, if it enters easily, the pumpkin is tender and done cooking.

9. When done, remove from oven and allow to cool before using

Ideas for using cooked pumpkin

• Oatmeal
• Smoothies [Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Spice | Pumpkin Spice Banana Nectarine]
• Meal ideas [Chili Ginger Buttercup Squash Soup | Pumpkin Curry with Chickpeas]
• Dessert [CCKs Healthy Pumpkin Pie | Chocolate Custard]
• In salads
• Mixed with rice

Benefits of Pumpkin

1. Ginormous amounts of absorbable Vitamin A
2. Low calorie
3. High fiber
4. Contains the antioxidant beta-carotene which is great for the skin
5. Rich in potassium and Vitamin C

I love the textures in this picture. Enjoy! xx