Baked Pumpkin Sticks

Baked pumpkin sticks are a great side or a light and tasty snack. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 pumpkin (butternut or another type suitable for baking)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Paprika (optional, for a spicy touch)
• Chopped rosemary (optional, for a more intense aroma)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and the inner fibers, and cut it into sticks approximately 1 cm wide and about 7-8 cm long.
3. In a large bowl, season the pumpkin sticks with salt, pepper, paprika, and rosemary (if you wish to use the herbs), and olive oil. Mix well so all the pieces are evenly seasoned.
4. Arrange the pumpkin sticks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure not to overlap them to ensure even cooking.
5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the sticks are golden and crispy on the edges. Ideally, turn them halfway through cooking to ensure they become crispy on all sides.
6. Once done, you can serve them immediately, perhaps with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan for an Italian touch.

Curiosity

Baked pumpkin is a very versatile preparation which can be enriched with different spices according to personal tastes. Pumpkin sticks are also a fun and original way to get children to eat vegetables, thanks to their shape that resembles French fries.