| Main ingredient: Pumpkin. |
Pickled pumpkin with red onion. Inspired by the Sicilian butternut squash dish zucca agrodolce that I read about in the Guardian a few years ago by food writer Rachel Roddy and have been making a version on the theme ever since. Pumpkin seeds are added to mine for more texture and to utilise the entire vegetable and substitute sweeter balsamic for red wine vinegar to use less sugar.
Ingredients
- 500g pumpkin, seeds removed and cut into thin wedges
- 100ml olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsps pumpkin seeds, dry toasted
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 75ml balsamic vinegar
- 25ml water
- 1-2 tbsps brown sugar
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Brush a sheet pan with 1 tbsp of the oil and lay the pumpkin slices on it, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 more tbsp of oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Pour the rest of the oil into a frying pan over medium heat and fry the onions until soft.
- Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar and water, mix together and cook for a few more minutes until syrupy. Check the balance of sweet and sour to your taste and adjust accordingly if you need more sugar or vinegar.
- Organise a platter and layer the baked pumpkin slices on it then put the onion mixture over the pumpkin and allow it to sit for a couple hours before serving turning over from time to time.
- When ready to serve, garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.
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