How to make roast pumpkin with green chilli and lime yoghurt

Don’t relegate your not-quite-ready squash or pumpkin to Halloween decorations – instead make this recipe, says Julia Platt Leonard

Kabocha squash are ideal candidates for roasting and the skin is edible if it’s cooked long enough (Julia Platt Leonard)

Pumpkins and hard squashes are often relegated to jack-o-lantern duty or wind up as part of an autumnal centrepiece.

But there are scores of great-tasting squashes and pumpkins that are ideal for cooking.

Slice an acorn squash or delicata in half and stuff with cooked quinoa, black beans and shredded cheese.

Or try a buttercup squash with its distinctive domed, “turban” top – roast and glaze with maple syrup or toss with harissa.

Then there’s a spaghetti squash – as the name suggests, it has distinctive spaghetti-like strands.

Cook and top it with a garlicky tomato sauce, pesto or simply grated parmesan and freshly ground black pepper for a gluten-free dish.

Kabocha squash are ideal candidates for roasting. The skin is edible if it’s cooked long enough – or just use a sturdy vegetable peeler to remove before roasting or with a knife after it’s cooked.

Roast pumpkin with green chilli and lime yoghurt

Serves 4-6

1 kg kabocha squash, other pumpkin or butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
1 green chilli, about 5g
30g mixed fresh herbs, such as coriander and chives
75g yoghurt
1 lime, zest and juice

Preheat oven to 220C. Remove the kabocha stem and using a sharp knife, slice the pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and pith. Slice into quarters, and if removing the skin, peel each quarter. Slice each quarter in half and then into roughly equal size wedges.

Place the pumpkin wedges on a baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil over them, seasoning generously with salt. Toss the pieces to coat with the oil and salt.

Place in the preheated oven and roast for around 25 minutes, turning the pieces periodically so they’re nicely browned all over.

While the pumpkin is roasting, mix the yoghurt with the lime zest and half the juice. Season with salt and taste – it should be sharp and tangy. Set aside. Dice the chilli, removing the seeds, and chop the herbs.

When you can insert a knife easily into a wedge of pumpkin, remove from the oven, toss with the chilli and remaining lime juice, place on a serving plate and top with the herbs. Serve with the lime yoghurt on the side.

@juliapleonard