Description

This Roasted Pumpkin with Lemon Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts recipe combines caramelized pumpkin with zesty yogurt and crunchy pine nuts. It’s quick, versatile, and perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

1.2 kg (2.4 lb) pumpkin (or butternut squash, sweet potato)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely minced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¾ cup Greek yogurt (or plain unsweetened yogurt)

½ small garlic clove, finely minced

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

2 tbsp pine nuts (or almonds, walnuts, cashews)

2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped

⅛ tsp sumac (or paprika, cinnamon, or other spice)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the pumpkin: Peel, deseed, and chop the pumpkin into 3 cm (1.2 inch) cubes. You should end up with about 1 kg once trimmed.
Season and roast: In a large bowl, toss pumpkin cubes with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange the pumpkin cubes evenly on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Roast until golden: Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the pumpkin pieces and continue roasting for another 7–10 minutes, until caramelized but still holding shape.
Make the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Toast the pine nuts: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts until golden and fragrant, stirring often to prevent burning.
Assemble and serve: Arrange the roasted pumpkin on a platter, drizzle with yogurt sauce, sprinkle with pine nuts, sumac, and fresh herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Sweet potato or butternut squash works perfectly as a substitute.

Try almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts instead of pine nuts.

For a vegan option, swap Greek yogurt with cashew or coconut yogurt.

Store roasted pumpkin up to 5 days separately, sauce up to 3 days.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Side Dish / Vegetarian Main
Method: Roasting
Cuisine: Middle Eastern-Inspired

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 plate (approx. 250 g)
Calories: 216 kcal
Sugar: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Protein: 7 g