The French Potimarron and Japanese Kuri pumpkin are the same—a not-too-large-sized, teardrop-shaped, sweet fruit with a thin rind. The rind does not have to be peeled before cooking, making life much easier! I discovered this pumpkin last year and was thrilled to find it, especially having never seen one before. That’s what I get for living in Hawaii for so long.
I liked it so much that I saved a few seeds, and one grew. It is a meandering plant, though—the main vine grew to about ten feet long, so I guess I can be glad that only one of the seeds made real progress. Fortunately, they are in all the markets this year.
This recipe uses a sheet pan, keeping the roasting and the cleanup easy.
Ingredients
- 1 small Potimarron (Kuri) pumpkin, seeded and cut into slices
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- a handful of sage leaves
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Cover a sheet pan with foil or parchment for easy cleanup.
Cut the stem and bottom of the pumpkin so it sits flat on a cutting board. This is for more manageable (and safer) slicing.
Slice pumpkin in half lengthwise, then divide halves into approximately eight slices.
Arrange on the sheet pan, then drizzle with olive oil, tossing the slices to cover all surfaces. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Roast the pumpkin for about 45 minutes, turning the slices over halfway through. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan. When it starts to foam up, add the sage leaves and sizzle them until they are just crisp, then remove the pan from heat.
Once the pumpkin is done roasting, transfer it to a serving dish and drizzle the butter and sage.
Serves about 4.
