Roasted Pumpkin and Ricotta Spread with Sage

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven and prepare the squash

   Preheat the oven to 210 °C. Cut the squash into roughly 2 cm cubes and spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   
2. 2

   Roast the squash

   Toss the cubes with 10 ml of olive oil and roast for 25 to 30 minutes at 210 °C. Turn them halfway through cooking; they are ready when soft all the way through and lightly golden in places around the edges.

   
3. 3

   Bring out the fragrance of the sage

   While the squash cools, heat the remaining 5 ml of olive oil in a small pan. Add the sage leaves and fry them for about 30 to 45 seconds on each side, until fragrant and slightly crisp. Set two leaves aside for garnish.

   
4. 4

   Blend the spread

   Let the roasted squash cool for about 10 minutes so it is no longer hot. Put it in a blender with the ricotta, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and six fried sage leaves. Blend briefly to make a thick spread; a few pieces of squash can remain visible.

   
5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Transfer the spread to a bowl and smooth the surface. Crumble the two reserved sage leaves over the top. Serve cooled to room temperature or after briefly chilling; it should remain thick and easy to spread.