Sage and Pumpkin Pesto
Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween, they’re for pesto too! Get the recipe for my Sage and Pumpkin Pesto below.
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Leftover pumpkin recipes
I had never really given much thought to pumpkin waste until I stumbled across the #PumpkinRescue campaign last year. Did you know that over 18,000 tonnes of EDIBLE pumpkin ends up in the bin each year. That’s the same weight as 1,500 double-decker busses! Mad isn’t it?
I don’t want to sound like your mother here but when there are starving people in the world and with people across England relying on food banks more than ever, I just can’t justify throwing my pumpkin away after Halloween.
Last year I used mine to make a cheesey pumpkin dip, but pumpkin soup is also delicious and you can use it in curry too! Just think of the pumpkin as you would a butternut squash and use it in the same way.
Today I’m sharing a recipe for Sage and Pumpkin Pesto. It’s absolutely delicious stirred through fresh pasta.
How to make Sage and Pumpkin Pesto
The method for making a classic pesto is well known. (In fact you can find out how to make classic pesto here). In short you chop the garlic, pine nuts, basic and parmesan really finely and then crush to form a paste. You then thin it to the desired consistency with olive oil. Although not traditional you can make classic pesto with a food processor. It simply speeds up the process.
To get a smooth sage and pumpkin pesto you first need to roast the pumpkin. This softens it and gives it a lovely caramel, sweetness. You then add it to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. What you’re left with is a smooth sauce you can use on your favourite pasta!
The recipe
Sage and Pumpkin Pesto
Ingredients
- 200 grams pumpkin or other squash, cubed
- 25 grams pumpkin seeds
- 3 sage leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 100 millilitres olive oil
- 25 grams parmesan grated
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the cubes of pumpkin in the oven for 45mins – 1 hour until soft.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds until they start to colour and pop.
- Add the pumpkin flesh and seeds into the food processors along with the sage and garlic.
- Blitz on high until finely chopped.
- Slowly add in the olive oil and continue to blitz
- Finally, add in the parmesan, nutmeg and seasoning then pulse to combine.
Notes
Storing
This can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.Nutrition
More pesto recipes
If you’ve liked this, then why not try some of these other pesto recipes.
What a cool idea for pesto! I love pesto so much, and different varieties always pique my interest. This is by far the most unique one I’ve encountered!
Awwwww Dana, you’re making me blush 😛
Ohh, I think this would go well on a gourmet pizza I am thinking of! It sounds so yummy!!
What a grat idea Deanna! I will have to give that a try 🙂
Oh yum!! I love this idea and can’t wait to try it.
Do send a picture in if you make it!
What a nice recipe. I never would have thought of putting this pesto recipe together. Love the ingredients like pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Sage sounds great too.
Sage and pumpkin work SO well together. You must give it a try.
I love that this is a way to use leftover pumpkin! Makes perfect sense, and oh my, what a delicious recipe this sounds like. I would love to try it with Pappardelle pasta! 🙂
I loooooove pappardelle. Good choice Valentina! It would go perfectly.