Pumpkin meets pesto meets bruschetta is this delicious flavor mashup of flavors. Perfect for fall entertaining!
I have to confess that this month’s Recipe ReDux theme, “Pumpkin”, really threw me for a loop!
Conceived by Gretchen of one of my favorite gluten-free blogs, Kumquat, pumpkin really should be a “no brainer” for a fall themed recipe. But here’s the kicker…
The challenge was to use FRESH pumpkin if at all possible. So, the first step making this Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta, was to find a “cooking” pumpkin…
Off I went to Whole Foods, thinking surely they would have some. And, they did, but I almost thought they didn’t…
Why is it so darn hard to find fresh cooking pumpkin???
You see, the big thing these days at my local Whole Foods is to have a seasonal and local display at the front of the store right when you walk in. And, believe me, if the goal of Whole Foods is to get you to buy more seasonal and local produce it works.
I wish I had photos to show you, but trust me, the displays are gorgeous. I have tried many a new fruit or veggie from Whole Foods, lured in by their smashing displays.
And, I almost grabbed one of the cute little “display” pumpkins to take home with me when at first I couldn’t find any “cooking” pumpkins.
But, eventually, I discovered these little beauties way in the BACK of the produce section co-mingling with the potatoes, onions and squash.
Step one completed. Time to move on to step two…How the @**#*(%()#(%*)
Thank goodness for the internet! A quick Google search revealed 26,000,000 results on my query “How to cook a pumpkin.”
Not having the time to go through all them, I narrowed it down to this method.
And, finally, step three…What do I make with fresh pumpkin???
- I decided to make a savory fresh pumpkin recipe.
- It needed to combine several flavors, including sweet, salty, & tangy, to dazzle your taste buds.
- PUMPKIN PESTO BRUSCHETTA!!!
How Does This Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta Taste???
I had three male tasters at my house {my husband and two neighborhood friends} to test my recipe. I’m always a little apprehensive about the reaction I will get when testing a new recipe, but in this case, the reaction was three {well, four counting me} thumbs up!
My test tasting guys seriously inhaled this Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta! And, I got the ultimate compliment from my husband…This one’s a keeper!
Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
Pesto
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups fresh basil de-stemmed & packed tight
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta
- 2 loaves Gluten-Free Bread sliced in half on the diagonal
- 1 roasted cooking pumpkin directions below
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Pesto recipe above
- 6 ounces goat cheese
Instructions
- Roast the pumpkin: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and dry pumpkin, then slice it in half with a very sharp knife. Remove seeds from pumpkin (set aside to roast later if you like), place in a baking dish and drizzle pumpkin flesh with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Then turn pumpkin halves over, flesh side down and roast for 45-60 minutes, or until pumpkin flesh is tender to your touch. Allow it to cool before scooping out the pumpkin.
- While pumpkin is roasting, prepare pesto by combining all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and ingredients are well combined.
- Heat olive oil in pan on high heat and add chopped onions. Saute until brown, approximately 5 minutes, the stir roasted pumpkin, plus salt and pepper to taste into onion mixture and set aside.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice bread on the diagonal, and toast it on a baking sheet in the oven for approximately 4-6 minutes.
- Remove bread from oven then top with pesto, pumpkin mixture, and pesto. Enjoy!
Notes
In a time crunch?
Try canned pumpkin! Although the pumpkin pesto bruschetta won’t be as chunky, it will still be delicious!Nutrition
Check out all the other delicious fresh pumpkin recipes my Recipe ReDux friends are cooking!
Cherie Schetselaar – Grain Crazy Fresh Pumpkin Risotto
Alexandra Caspero- Delicious Knowledge Pumpkin Enchiladas
Katie Hamm – Healthy & Happy Hour Pumpkin-Bacon Penne
Alysa Bajenaru – Inspired RD Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Fries
Everyday Tastiness Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Dr Barb, Nutriton Budgeteer Pumpkin Chili Chicken Pizza
Elizabeth Jarrard- Don’t (White) Sugar Coat It Vegan Pumpkin Soup
Kristen Bourque- Swanky Dietitian baked pumpkin oatmeal
Marie Spano Cream cheese Pumpkin muffins
Regan @ The Professional Palate Pumpkin Ravioli in a Walnut-Sage Cider Sauce
Danielle Omar – Food Confidence RD Pumpkin Goulash
Emma @ The Hearty Heart (Vegan) Cocoa Pumpkin (Whiskey) Mousse
gretchen – kumquat baked mini pumpkins
Emma Stirling – The Scoop on Nutrition Recipe Redux Chermoula Chickpea & Pumpkin Sliders
Janel Funk: Eat Well with Janel Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Nicole @ Whole Health RD Kaddo Bourani – Candied Pumpkin with Yogurt and Meat Sauce
Yuri – Chef Pandita Pumpkin Apple Soup
Lisa @ Healthful Sense Pumpkin Cream Pie Filling & Pudding
Jessica Fishman Levinson – Nutritioulicious Recipe Redux: Pumpkin Pancakes
Jane Schwartz, RD Pumpkin Coconut Soup
Kat Lynch – Eating The Week Pumpkin yogurt dip for waffle sticks
Katie Caputo- East Meats West Pumpkin Stuffing
Serena @ Teaspoon of Spice Whole Pumpkin Cheddar Gratin
Kristina @ Love and Zest Pumpkin Mash
Carrie Miller – Nutrition Know How Baked Stuffed Pumpkin & Pumpkin Orange Muffins
Ann Dunaway Teh – Eat to Nourish, Energize & Flourish Kara Lydon – Peace, Love, and Food Pumpkin Yogurt Dip
Stephanie Howard – Give Them Something Better Fall Harvest Chili
Karman Meyer-Nutrition Adventures Pumpkin-Potato Breakfast Hash
Ayla Withee- Eat Simply Salt and Vinegar Pumpkin Seeds
Heather Calcote – Dietitian on the Run Pumpkin Rosemary & Mushroom Quinoa
Jill Melton-The Relish Dish Ham and Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin
EA-The Spicy RD Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta
Liz Weiss & Janice Newell Bissex – Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen Ghoulishly Good Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin
Diane Welland – Eat Well, Eat Clean Pumpkin Cranberry Scones
Rebecca Noseworthy – It’s a Savoury Life Fall Pumpkin Chili
Let’s Chat! Have you ever cooked with fresh pumpkin before? Do you have trouble finding things at Whole Foods? Will you make this Pumpkin Pesto Bruschetta???
Hi There! I’m EA, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) in sunny San Diego. I create easy, DELICIOUS gluten free recipes & low FODMAP recipes for a wide variety of diets: anti-inflammatory, low carb, Mediterranean, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, & more. I offer nutrition coaching for wellness nutrition, digestive health (celiac disease, IBS, IBD, SIBO), autoimmune disease, & healthy aging. Learn more about my nutrition philosophy and my nutrition coaching services, sign up for my newsletter, or get in touch~I’d love to connect with you!
25 comments
I officially cannot wait for Autumn! These are just fantastic
Thanks so much Mary Frances! This was one of those recipes that turned out way more delicious than I even imagined 🙂
What a great combination. I usually stick with tomato bruschetta, but I love pumpkin so I am going to have to give this a go!
the bruschetta looks so good!. i havent baked this season with pumpkin yet.. gasp.. i need to start up on some pumpkin goodies.. i think my fave is my moms sweet and sour indian spiced pumpkin. i need to make that and blog about it soon..:)
Now that’s a great combination! I love pesto on just about anything but with the addition of pesto it must be out of this world.
Love it! We went to a fall festival and they send each person home with a small pumpkin. I diced one (not easy I know) and made an Indian curry dish with coconut milk, carrots, pumpkin, and chicken. I’m going to try again with lentils and no coconut and no chicken. I have 2 pumpkins left! Yay for this recipe.
pure genius love this
This looks so unbelievably good!! I actually just saw a recipe from The NY Times’ Recipes for Health for quinoa with pesto and sweet potatoes and am planning to make it tonight. I’ll have to make some of these bruschetta too! Can’t wait to try it!
This looks SOOO delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe!
I am in love with this. I love the colors with the green pesto contrasting the orange pumpkin, I’m sure it tastes as amazing as it looks. I am epically in love with pumpkin this month!
Thanks so much everyone for all your lovely comments on my pumpkin pesto bruschetta! I really hope you all try it, as it was one of those “surprise” recipes that turned out way tastier than I ever imagined it would 🙂
Nice work!! This looks and sounds fantastic. Who would have thought that a bruschetta recipe would work with pumpkin?! Brilliant! Thanks for sharing the recipe, and thanks for all the other links too. I’m obsessed with pumpkin so I like to hear new pumpkin recipes ideas, whenever possible 🙂
I haven’t cooked a pumpkin but I do lots of squash, I would’ve been thrown off right there with you. I love the taste of pumpkin and adore pesto, I am envisioning pesto and sweet potatoes and can’t imagine the taste, it’s good? I trust you but have to taste for myself, ha ha. In the meantime I want to make those pancakes.
Wow, this looks incredible. I love bruschetta and this is just such a fun twist.
Your dishes never disappoint!! 🙂
This looks amazing! I’ve been experimenting with fresh pumpkin too – so much better than the stuff you get in a can. Made a yummy salad with roasted pumpkin, goat cheese (of course!) and lentils. Also made some tasty pumpkin & pineapple muffins. I’ll be posting these recipes during Halloween week. I also made some pumpkin & avocado salsa that was less than overwhelming 🙂
Yummo, I LOVE bruchetta….and still find it strange that you don’t think pumkin as a savoury veg. We eat it regularly at my house in Oz…roasted in salads, in risotto and more. I suppose that’s what makes the Redux so perfect!
i love the idea of a nice delicious blob of roasted pumpkin on bruchetta! and i totally got enticed by the pumpkin display at whole foods as well. hahahaha. 🙂 and you know its a keeper when the guys in your life inhale it!
What a great idea! Love pumpkin this time of year and it seems to go well with spicy, sweet, savory, and everything in between. Stuffing is my favorite way to make squash.
These would make a wonderful appetizer for my Halloween Party!! Thanks for sharing.
Vicky
Your photos are breath-taking! And that combination sounds divine!!
I know what I’ll be making for appetizers on Thanksgiving 🙂 Awesome idea EA!
Oh I love so much! I was sooo close to doing a pumpkin crostini with about the same flavors as my ravioli. Great minds think alike, right? 😉
Beautiful as always!
You are so creative, EA! I love your ideas and your pictures are incredible. Will definitely keep this bruschetta in mind for an October party appetizer.
I love that you challenged yourself to cook a whole pumpkin and just when I thought I’d seen every pesto version, this is a new one and looks wonderful. I’m a bruschetta fiend – definitely going in my “to make” recipe pile.
The bruschetta looks very tasty and unique! Beautiful colors and great flavor combo! I roasted a few pumpkins last year for soups. I’ll have to do that again!
Have a great weekend!