Pete Evans' roast Pumpkin with bacon and Fetta

WOW - what a dinner, just divine....of course I did the Sonia twist it up, and put in some Sweet Potato, one because the kids aren't too fussed on pumpkin, two because i wanted to cook an impossible pie tomorrow, so figured that I could add the extra roast veggies to it then... yes I will share that one tomorrow.

Now back to the recipe at hand.

Serves 8 . Prep and Cook time 1 hour 15 minutes

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• 1.5kg piece Queensland blue or jarrahdale pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, bruised (yep had to add more but that's just me and a passion for roast garlic)
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/3 cup raisins {only had sultanas on hand}
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 small red onions, cut into thin wedges
• 4 rashers bacon, sliced thinly
• 200g fetta cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup flat -leaf parsley leaves {none on hand but coriander was and it worked}

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius
2. Remove seeds from pumpkin, then chop unpeeled pumpkin coarsely, or cut into wedges. In a large shallow baking dish lined with baking paper, {nope don't need to well the pot scrubber works} combine pumpkin with oil, garlic, chilli, coriander and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, turning pumpkin once during cooking.
3. Combine raisins and vinegar in a bowl. Stand for 30 minutes.
4. Add onion and bacon to pumpkin, roast a further 10 minutes. Crumble fetta over the pumpkin; roast for a another 10 minutes.
5. Remove baking dish from oven; cool 10 minutes. Combine oil with raisin mixture; drizzle over the pumpkin mixture with parsley.

I purchased a butterflied piece of lamb and seasoned with salt and pepper {OK well hubby did this bit} and seared it on the BBQ, then popped into the oven and glazed with a little home made mint sauce and had it roasting in the oven the whole time the veggies were cooking and served them both together...it was just DELICIOUS...

Let me know if you like it if you try it - I love comments on my dishes ....