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Perfectly oven roasted pumpkin: an easy, versatile recipe for roasting pumpkin, you can enjoy the spicy pumpkin wedges with yogurt dip or as a side dish.

Learn how to cook roast pumpkin perfectly!

This roasted pumpkin is my last recipe in this Pumpkin Series and I could almost say that this time I saved the best for last. I love every other recipe that I’ve posted during the past two weeks, but these spicy pumpkin wedges are really my favorite. Delicious, healthy, low-calorie, gluten-free, vegan and so on.

Not only because it is so thoroughly delicious, but also due to the fact that it is so extremely easy to make and so easy to change according to your taste.

What does baked pumpkin taste like?

The process of roasting makes it incredibly delicious, brings out more of its sweetness and flavor.
Roasting is probably the best thing you can do to a fresh pumpkin, as it enhances the flavors and gives it a soft, creamy consistency that will not be entirely achieved when only cooking it on the stove.
The recipe for today’s spicy wedges makes a meal in itself, the pumpkin is already spiced and it is meant to be enjoyed as a light meal or a side dish.
But if you would like to learn how to cook roast pumpkin to use for other purposes, have a look at this blog post on How to Roast a Pumpkin. You could use that to make not only savory dishes but pie, muffins, cheesecake, and so on.

Ingredients

Spices:

The spice mixture can be changed as well according to your taste or needs at the moment. I chose a Middle-Eastern inspired spice mix this time because I wanted to pair this with a yogurt tahini dip, but actually when it comes to spices the sky is the limit. Use a few, use many, use any spice mixture you like, let your mood or the main dish inspire you…

Some spice mixture ideas:

3-4 TBS olive oil + 2 grated garlic cloves + 1 ts ground cumin + ½ ts ground coriander + 1 ts hot paprika powder + ½ ts turmeric powder + salt and pepper to taste – this is the spice mixture featured today.
3-4 TBS olive oil + salt and pepper to taste
3-4 TBS olive oil + ½ ts hot smoked paprika powder + 1 ts sweet paprika powder + 2 grated garlic cloves + salt and pepper to taste
3-4 TBS olive oil + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + ½ ts dried rosemary + 2 grated garlic cloves + salt and pepper to taste
3-4 TBS olive oil + ½ ts ground cumin + 1 ts ground coriander + 1/8 ts nutmeg + red chili flakes to taste + salt and pepper to taste
3-4 TBS olive oil + 2 ts clear honey + 1 grated garlic clove + 1 TBS soy sauce + salt and pepper to taste
3-4 TBS olive oil + pinch ground cloves + ½ ts cinnamon + 2 TBS brown sugar + a little salt
3-4 TBS olive oil + 1 ts allspice + 2 TBS brown sugar + a little salt
and so on…

Pumpkin:

What you can see in the photographs is a Hokkaido pumpkin, also called a red Kuri squash, that’s why I didn’t need to peel it.
If you choose another sort or a butternut squash, then do peel them.
Don’t try to roast slices of jack o’ lanterns, that kind should be kept for decoration purposes only.

How do you prepare a pumpkin?

You could prepare the wedges in advance or just before roasting:

Cut the Hokkaido or butternut squash into wedges, about 1.5 cm/ 0.6 inches thick, place them in the casserole dish or on a baking sheet. Keep in mind that Hokkaido doesn’t have to be peeled, but butternut squash (or any other pumpkins or squashes) needs peeling.
Make the marinade by mixing together the grated garlic, spices, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
Rub the wedges with the spice mixture until coated all over and let them marinate until ready to roast them.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25-30 minutes or until the wedges are as soft as you like them, I like them very soft.
In the meantime make the yogurt tahini dip, if desired. Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.

That’s it! And the result, the best roast pumpkin wedges ever, if you ask me.

What else can I do with the roasted pumpkin?

This recipe serves two or three as a main dish and 4 as a side dish, but it can be easily doubled, just use a baking sheet instead of a roasting pan, if you do. I often roast a double batch of pumpkin wedges, I love them so much I can have at just about any meal.

They make a great side dish for chicken, for instance, baked chicken drumsticks, baked chicken thighs, or a whole roasted chicken.
You can add it to salads, make a roast pumpkin salad, add it to a grain salad like the roasted buckwheat salad or couscous salad.
You can use it to make pumpkin soup.
Or you can make sandwiches, I so love baked pumpkin sandwiches. Spread some cream cheese, hummus, or another vegan spread on a slice of bread, top with roasted pumpkin wedges, add some thin cucumber or tomato slices, a lettuce leaf, and maybe a few drops of hot chili sauce (if you like it). Place another bread slice on top and cut in half. So good!