The inspiration for this whole baked pumpkin recipe came from my lovely friend Jayne, who cooked something similar on a recent trip to the Lake District.

I was so impressed, I decided to re-create it for you!

My version has a warming harissa rice stuffing, but it would be equally delicious stuffed with the Puy Lentils, bolognese, or rice in these recipes:

My hearty Puy Lentil stew

My smoky lentil walnut bolognese

And my baked Mexican rice-with beans

I also want to flag that you can use squash as an alternative to the pumpkin — there’s an important environmental reason you might want to do this, given the amount of Pumpkins wasted every year as their primary use is decoration rather than food.

This is a super tasty seasonal pumpkin recipe, and remember that if you are carving pumpkins for decoration, providing they are fit to eat afterwards, you can use the left-overs in an amazing soup or stew-style dish. It’s so important to reduce the amount of food waste we make, and Halloween pumpkins are a chance to do this.

And, as an alternative, any time of year you can use a round edible squash to make this recipe.

And, remember to scoop out the pumpkin seeds and roast them for a healthy snack, they are delicious!

I hope you enjoy my whole baked pumpkin with harissa rice recipe!

Love, Niki xx