Baked Pumpkin Stuffed with Wild Rice

Serves 4 · 25 min prep · 60 min cook

Ingredients

• 2 (about 2 lb each) small sugar pumpkins
• 1 cup wild rice blend
• 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Halve each pumpkin crosswise, scoop out seeds and strings, and brush the cut flesh lightly with olive oil. Season the cavities and rims with salt and pepper.
2. 2Place the pumpkin halves cut-side down on the sheet pan. Roast until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork and the edges begin to caramelize, about 35 to 45 minutes depending on size.
3. 3While the pumpkins roast, rinse the wild rice blend under cold water. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir in the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed, 40 to 45 minutes. Fluff and keep covered off heat.
4. 4Dice the onion and celery into small even pieces. Mince the garlic. Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and celery until softened and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
5. 5Add the garlic, thyme, and torn sage leaves to the skillet. Cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly so the herbs do not scorch.
6. 6Fold the cooked wild rice into the skillet along with the toasted pecans, dried cranberries, lemon zest, and most of the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper. The mixture should taste bright and herb-forward.
7. 7Remove the roasted pumpkins from the oven and carefully flip them cut-side up. If needed, scoop a little extra flesh from the centers to create deeper wells, leaving a sturdy shell.
8. 8Spoon the wild rice filling generously into each pumpkin half, mounding it slightly. Return the stuffed pumpkins to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes so the top of the filling toasts lightly and everything is heated through.
9. 9Rest the stuffed pumpkins for 5 minutes. Garnish with the remaining parsley, then slice or serve whole halves at the table so each person gets a portion of shell and filling.