Roasted Pumpkin and Black Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/4 of a crown prince pumpkin (or butternut squash)
- 200g black rice
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 red chilli
- 5/6 stalks of cavolo nero
- 1/2 a white onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- A handful of fresh sage
- Lots of good quality olive oil
- Pomegranate seeds
Preparation
Rinse the rice and place in a saucepan with three times its volume of water, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes until cooked.
Preheat the oven to 190°C and cut the pumpkin into large chunks and slice the fennel, season well with salt, pepper and oil, and roast for 30-35 minutes until tender and beginning to caramelize.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the sage leaves for 1-2 minutes until crispy, then remove and set aside.
Finely chop the onion, garlic and chili, then sauté the onion in a large frying pan for 5-7 minutes until soft and just beginning to color, and add the chili and garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Roughly chop the cavolo nero and add it to the pan, frying until just wilted, then season and set aside until the rice is ready.
Once the rice is cooked, drain it well and add it to the frying pan with the onion mixture and combine well.
Top with the roasted pumpkin and fennel, drizzle with good quality olive oil, and finally sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and the crispy sage.
Notes
This dish features a dramatic contrast between sweet pumpkin and nutty black rice, with vibrant colors and flavors.
