Name: Roast pumpkin soup with pancetta and parmesan
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 butternut pumpkins (about 1.2kg each), unpeeled, quartered, seeds removed; 100 ml olive oil; 40 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 130 gm round mild pancetta, finely chopped; 2 litres (8 cups) chicken stock; 1 tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra to serve; 90 gm finely grated parmesan; 1½ tsp red wine vinegar; To serve: crisp pancetta (optional); Parmesan toast; 100 gm butter, softened; 75 gm finely grated parmesan; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 24 thin baguette slices

Roast pumpkin soup with pancetta and parmesan

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for roast pumpkin soup with pancetta and parmesan.

Serves 8

Prep

20M

Cook

1H 30M

Total

1H 50M

Ingredients

3 butternut pumpkins (about 1.2kg each), unpeeled, quartered, seeds removed

100 ml olive oil

40 gm butter, coarsely chopped

2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

130 gm round mild pancetta, finely chopped

2 litres (8 cups) chicken stock

1 tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra to serve

90 gm finely grated parmesan

1½ tsp red wine vinegar

To serve: crisp pancetta (optional)

Parmesan toast

100 gm butter, softened

75 gm finely grated parmesan

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

24 thin baguette slices

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 200C. Place pumpkin skin-side down on an oven tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with 40ml olive oil, season to taste, roast until very tender and caramelised (50 minutes-1 hour). Scoop flesh out of skins (discard skins), set aside.

2.Heat butter and remaining olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion and garlic, sauté until golden (6-8 minutes). Add pancetta, sauté until crisp (2-3 minutes), add pumpkin, stock and thyme. Bring to the simmer, cook until flavours infuse (8-10 minutes). Process with a hand-held blender until very smooth, stir through parmesan and vinegar, season to taste and keep warm.

3.For parmesan toast, preheat grill to high. Combine all ingredients except bread in a bowl. Grill one side of bread slices until golden (1-2 minutes), turn and spread with parmesan butter. Grill until golden (1-2 minutes), serve with soup topped with crisp pancetta and extra thyme.