Roast Butternut Pumpkin with Goat Cheese, Rosemary and Toasted Hazelnuts
SERVES 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 butternut pumpkin cut in half lengthwise
1 bulb of garlic (8-12 cloves)
Olive oil
Handful of rosemary sprigs, plus extra for garnishing
½ cup hazelnuts toasted, skins removed
3 long red chillies finely sliced
2 teaspoons of dried red chilli flakes (or to taste)
1 tbsp salt flakes
Fresh ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven 180°C.
Place hazelnuts on an oven tray and roast until golden. Approx. 10-15 mins.
Remove set aside to cool. When cool, place nuts in a folded tea towel and using flat palms, roll your hands over them to rub off the skins. Pick out the nuts from the skins and set aside. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
Place the salt and 2 teaspoons of rosemary sprigs (removed from stalks) in a mortar and pestle, or spice grinder. Grind them together to make a fragrant, green rosemary salt.
Cut the butternut pumpkin in half lengthwise. Trim the top and bottom. Scoop out the seeds from the cut butternut pumpkin half and discard.
Leaving the skin on, cut pumpkin into large pieces. Place on a baking paper lined oven tray. Sprinkle over the dried chilli flakes and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
Leave the skin on the garlic cloves and scatter amongst the pumpkin pieces. Season with the rosemary salt and some pepper to taste.
Place tray into oven and cook for approx. 15 minutes, or until pumpkin is golden and cooked. Remove from oven.
Crumble the Yarra Valley Dairy Fresh Goat’s cheese over the pumpkin and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts. Garnish with extra rosemary, the sliced fresh red chilli and a further drizzle of your best quality olive oil.