This baked pumpkin dish is a beautiful mix of rustic charm and rich flavour. The natural sweetness of pumpkin pairs perfectly with creamy goat cheese, smoky paprika, and crunchy seeds, all finished with a splash of olive oil and fresh herbs. It’s simple enough for a cosy lunch or dinner yet striking enough to serve as a festive centrepiece.

I’ve used Butternut pumpkin for this recipe, but you can also make it with any other pumpkin. Just adjust the ingredients and timing. This Butternut was about 2kg.

Nothing goes to waste in my recipe. While the thinner half of the pumpkin becomes your “baked dish,” the remaining pumpkin can be turned into a cosy soup or bread, you can find these favourites already on the blog here: Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Soup.

Pumpkin and Cheese Bake recipe.

Ingredients:

1 whole pumpkin, about 1.5-2kg/4-4.5lb

350g/12oz soft goat cheese

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp olive oil

a few sprigs of dill and parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp smoked paprika

Optional: 2tbsp of yoghurt of your choice.

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/356F.
2. Cut the pumpkin in halves horizontally to separate the thin top of the pumpkin. Remove the seeds and season the pumpkin shell if desired. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and bake for 25 minutes or until almost soft.
3. If the cheese is not moist, combine it with the optional yoghurt. Fill the pumpkin dish with the cheese.
4. Distribute pumpkin seeds over and bake for 15 mins.
5. Splash olive oil over and decorate with herbs. Serve with a large spoon for scooping directly from the pumpkin.

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