Everybody loves carving jack-o-lanterns at Halloween, but what else can you do with pumpkins? This recipe takes the simple flavour of pumpkin and pairs it with higher welfare RSPCA Assured bacon for a delicious autumnal treat.
1kg cooking pumpkin, unpeeled
4 small pumpkins, to serve (if you’re not eating the flesh, small carving pumpkins will be fine)
1 onion, chopped into quarters
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 sprigs rosemary
125g RSPCA Assured pancetta or smoked bacon pieces
400ml chicken or vegetable stock
250ml RSPCA Assured milk
Cream or feta cheese to serve
Oil for drizzling
Salt and pepper
Method
Cut the tops off the small pumpkins and set aside. Remove the seeds and fibres from the middle of each and discard. Using a sharp knife and a spoon, carefully hollow them out. These will be used as bowls, and can be raw or baked. To cook them, bake with their lids on at 200°C/ fan 180°C/ gas mark 6 for 20 to 25 minutes and drizzled with a little olive oil.
Meanwhile, scoop out the flesh and roughly chop the cooking pumpkin into 3cm slices. Save some pumpkin seeds and toast these on a baking tray to use later.
Heat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/ gas mark 6. Put the pumpkin pieces on a baking tray with the onion, garlic and rosemary, and drizzle with oil.
Bake for 20 minutes, then add the bacon or pancetta (keep this separate from the pumpkin on the tray). Bake for a further 20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft inside and brown around the edge.
Set the bacon and rosemary aside. Remove the pumpkin and garlic skin and then add it, along with the onion to a large pan or food processor.
Pour in the stock and RSPCA Assured milk and blend until smooth.
To serve, fill the hollowed-out pumpkins with soup.
Swirl over a little cream or crumble on some feta and scatter with the bacon or pancetta, toasted pumpkin seeds and rosemary.
