Vegetable gratins are a favorite fall-season dish, and this pumpkin recipe takes its inspiration from French Provence, where large wedges of pumpkin are popular items at farmers’ markets. Parsley, sage, and garlic perfume the chunks of pumpkin, then a tasty topping of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and hazelnuts forms a crispy crust. The hazelnut-pumpkin combination is simply delicious.
We recommend using panko — Japanese-style dried breadcrumbs — because they have a coarser texture than most store-bought crumbs. If you don’t have panko, regular (unseasoned dried) breadcrumbs will also work.
Butter, for greasing the pan
One 2-1/2 pound whole pumpkin (such as Sugar or Cinderella),
peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1/3 cup fresh minced Italian flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh minced sage (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
Place the pumpkin in a large bowl and add the parsley, sage, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, then add the olive oil, tossing to coat the pumpkin. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13-inch baking pan or a roasting pan large enough to hold the pumpkin in a single layer. Bake until the pumpkin is crisp-tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet and add the panko. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to coat the crumbs. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the panko cool. Then stir in the parmesan cheese and hazelnuts.
Once the pumpkin is crisp-tender, sprinkle with the parmesan-panko mixture. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Then place the pan under the broiler and broil on high until the top is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
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