Warm pumpkin caponata with whipped ricotta, mint & hazelnuts
- Thomasina Miers
Published: September 10, 2025 at 10:50 AM
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Serves 10 as a starter, 6 as a main
More effort
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 50 mins
A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.9 ratingsRate
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I love this recipe. Pumpkins come into season in the UK when the weather is still lovely. The evenings are beginning to draw in but the days can be warm and sunny and the trees are leafy, with their colours turning the same gorgeous tones of orange and pale tan as the squash themselves. This recipe is filling, yet feels light; packed full of flavour from the spices, squash and lilt of acidity from that agrodolce dressing but still satisfyingly meat-free. It has colour, texture and beauty about it with that spark of chilli heat that stops it from being too sweet. It makes a brilliant meze dish, or a starter, or even as a main course (it is wonderful tumbled through pasta, or astride a tamal). I hope you love it as much as I do.
Recipe extracted from Thomasina Miers new cookbook, Mexican Table (£28, Quadrille). Photographs Matt Russell.
Egg-free
Vegetarian
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Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
-
1.5kg butternut squash
-
2 tbsp olive oil
plus 1 tbsp for the dressing
-
75g butter
-
3 red onions
finely diced
-
3 celery sticks
finely diced
-
1 tsp ground cinnamon
-
1 tsp ground allspice
-
½ tsp ground cloves
-
4 large garlic cloves
-
1 chilli de árbol
or 1 tsp dried chilli (hot pepper) flakes
-
3 tbsp capers
-
400g can of plum tomatoes
-
80g green olives
chopped
-
4 tbsp soft brown sugar
-
75ml red wine vinegar
To serve
-
250g ricotta
-
handful of watercress
-
handful of fresh mint leaves
roughly chopped
-
30g toasted hazelnuts
roughly chopped
-
1 lemon
zested (optional)
-
ajilo oil
optional
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Nutrition: per serving
- kcal238
- fat14g
- saturates6g
- carbs20g
- sugars16g
- fibre4g
- protein5g
- salt1.16g
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Method
-
step 1
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
-
step 2
Peel the squash, cut into wedges, then deseed and arrange on a baking tray. Rub with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover in foil and roast for 35-40 mins until tender.
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step 3
Meanwhile, heat the butter and remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, spices and 1 tsp salt, then reduce the heat to medium and sweat for 15 mins until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a few minutes until the garlic is translucent, then stir in the capers, tomatoes and olives. Allow to simmer gently.
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step 4
Cut the squash into bite-sized chunks. Make a well in the middle of the onion mixture and add the sugar and vinegar. Simmer for 30-40 seconds, then stir in the squash, coating everything in the silky onions and spices. Cook gently for a few minutes to allow the flavours to gel, then remove from the heat. Taste the caponata – it should have a lovely balance of soft spicing, acid, sweetness, salt and a hint of chilli. Adjust these flavours to your liking and set aside.
-
step 5
Drain the ricotta and beat it briefly with a fork or whisk. Spread it out onto a serving plate and arrange the watercress all around. Top with the warm caponata and scatter over the mint and hazelnuts and lemon zest. Drizzle with the ajillo oil or salsa macha and serve as part of a mezze, with a joint or simply with grilled toast and a drizzle of olive oil.
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A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.9 ratings
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