Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta
A delightful combination of sweet maple syrup, spicy chili, and creamy feta cheese, perfect as a side dish or standalone meal.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 lb pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes whole, unpeeled weight
- 1 red onion, peeled, halved, then cut into 1cm / 0.4" wedges
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup (or honey; substitute brown sugar)
- ¾ tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1 1 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes, adjust to taste
- ¾ cup Danish feta (or Greek feta, or upgrade to goat cheese)
- 1 large red chili (cayenne pepper), deseeded, finely minced
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Toss the pumpkin, onion, and walnuts on a large, paper-lined tray.
- Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then toss well to coat.
- Sprinkle the dried chili flakes and salt over the mixture, toss again, and then spread the ingredients out on the tray.
- Make sure not to crowd them; otherwise, they will stew instead of roast.
Cooking
- Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is lightly browned and cooked through.
- Toss once at the 20-minute mark to ensure even cooking.
- Finish by removing the tray from the oven and gently toss the roasted mixture again.
- Transfer it to a serving platter in a single layer.
- Crumble the feta on top and sprinkle with parsley and the minced chili.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving. Adjust chili flakes according to spice preference. For a vegan version, skip the feta or use plant-based cheese.