courtesy of Nigel Slater, Tender Vol 1 – a fave cookbook for years
For 4 as a side dish, 2-3 as a main (it reheats well)
1 kg pumpkin or butternut squash
3 cloves garlic
5 tbspn olive oil, plus a bit
mild red chilli
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
zest of half an orange
handful of roughly chopped parsley (or coriander works too)
4 handfuls of fresh white breadcrumbs – I tore mine from a crusty white loaf, taking the crust off first
about 40 gm butter
Peel and deseed the squash and cut into large bite sized chunks. Steam for 15-20 mins until nearly cooked (or microwave)
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the garlic and put it into a shallow pan with the olive oil over a moderate heat. Thinly slice the chilli and add to the pan with the rosemary and orange zest. The smell is delicious, or slightly aromatic as Nigel says. Tip in the parsley and breadcrumbs and stir briefly while they lightly colour – no more than pale biscuit.
Put the pumpkin in a shallow baking dish or roasting tin, salt and pepper it, the add the butter in small knobs. Tip the breadcrumbs over and and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 180C fan, till the crumbs are deep golden and the pumpkin meltingly tender. Note: for a change, you can add a soft cheese eg brie or goats’, with the butter, or serve the cooked dish with crumbled feta.
Find more family favourite recipes I’ve collected over many decades here.