Roasted pumpkin with smoky chilli tomato salsa

Ingredients

• 4 (about 1.8kg) Hokkaido pumpkins or butternuts 
• Salt and milled pepper 
• Glug olive oil 
• 50g cashew nuts, toasted and seasoned with fine salt 
• Fresh coriander and basil, for serving  

Salsa:  

• 3 red chillies 
• 4 red snacking peppers 
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) olive oil blend + extra for frying 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 2cm knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated 
• 200g small tomatoes (rosa or cherry) 
• Dash fish sauce 
• Juice (60ml) of 1 lemon or 2 limes 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Cut pumpkin or butternut into 3-5cm wedges. 
3. Place on a roasting tray, packing loosely to avoid steaming, season and drizzle with oil. 
4. Roast for 40-45 minutes until slightly blistered and tender. 
5. Pierce chillies and peppers onto forks (for best handling) and char over an open gas flame (this step is optional – it adds bitterness and sweetness to your dish). 
6. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan over low heat and fry garlic and ginger for 2-3 minutes. 
7. Finely chop charred chilli and peppers (discard seeds of peppers but leave chilli seeds if you want the extra heat). 
8. Add to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.  
9. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes. 
10. Stir through tomatoes, fish sauce and citrus juice to make salsa. 
11. Serve pumpkin with salsa spooned over it, scatter with cashews and top with coriander and basil. 

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