Roasted Pumpkin

Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients:

• 1 pumpkin (1.2 kg)
• olive oil
• 1 red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 bunch of fresh sage
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes
• 75 g chestnuts
• 75 g basmati rice
• 75 g dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp allspice (pimento)
• sea salt
• black pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Wash the pumpkin, carefully cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and set them aside. Scoop out some flesh with a spoon to create a groove along the length of the pumpkin.
3. Finely chop the flesh you’ve scooped out along with the seeds, and sauté it in a pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
4. Finely chop the garlic and onion and add them to the pan.
5. Finely chop the sage leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, and chestnuts, then add them to the pan.
6. Add the rice, cranberries, and allspice, followed by a generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Stir well and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until softened.
7. Fill the grooves in the pumpkin halves with the mixture and press the halves firmly together.
8. Rub the pumpkin skin with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
9. Place the pumpkin in the center of a double layer of aluminum foil and wrap it tightly. Bake for about 2 hours until the pumpkin is soft and cooked through.
10. Slice the pumpkin into thick slices and serve.

Tip: This flavorful pumpkin dish also makes a delicious vegetarian side dish. In this case, it serves 10 to 12 people.