Alice Zaslavsky’s One-Pan Pumpkin Parma

Cookbook author, broadcaster and self-confessed “queen of veg” Alice Zaslavsky is taking the stress out of midweek cooking with her latest book, Weeknights with Alice. Featuring 80 quick, clever and vegetable-packed dinners, the collection is designed to help home cooks build satisfying meals from the crisper up, using a streamlined pantry and plenty of flexible substitutions.

Organised by vegetable colour, the book also includes preparation and cooking times, ideas for using leftovers, homemade pantry staples and an index to help answer that familiar question: what do I feel like eating tonight?

Weeknights with Alice
One-Pan Pumpkin Parma

Serves → 4–6
Chop + stir → 10 MINUTES
Set + forget → 30 MINUTES

For a midweek vego parma, pumpkin really pops! Microwaving it first helps to halve the cooking time, but if you’re zap-less, just bake the pumpkin longer until it collapses (another 20 minutes should do it). The breadcrumbs help bulk out the mix and make the top terrifically textural. I prefer panko for their shape and crunch, but if you’ve got some homemade breadcrumbs handy, use them first! Basil stems can vary based on variety and season – chop them in only if you can bend them easily.  A crisp radicchio salad with a splash of zippy red wine vinegar would be an ideal side here.

1/2 Kent pumpkin (squash; about 900 g/2 lb), washed and cut into 2 cm (¾ in) cubes (no need to peel)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Herby tomato sauce

1 brown onion, finely diced
3–4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 × 400 g (14 oz) tins whole peeled cherry tomatoes
1/4 bunch parsley, stems and leaves finely chopped
1/4 bunch basil, leaves and softer stems finely chopped
pinch of dried oregano
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt flakes
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar

Cheesy panko topping

2 cups (120 g) panko crumbs
200 g (7 oz) firm mozzarella, coarsely grated
1/2 cup (50 g) coarsely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped  parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped  basil

Home stretch

extra virgin olive oil

Start the sauce → Toss the onion, garlic and olive oil in a wide shallow casserole dish or large deep baking dish. Whack into your cold oven, then crank the temperature to 200°C (400°F) and leave for about 15 minutes, so the onion can start to soften and caramelise.

Zap the pumpkin → Meanwhile, tumble the pumpkin into a mixing bowl that comfortably fits it all. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt flakes, add the olive oil and toss to coat. Transfer to a microwave-safe container, keeping the schmutzy bowl handy. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes on high. The pumpkin will collapse and let out some sweet liquid.

Cheesy crumbs → In your schmutzy bowl, toss together all the cheesy panko topping ingredients. Set aside.

Finish off the sauce → Once the oven is heated and the onion mix is translucent and starting to caramelise, pour in the tomatoes, sloshing out each tin with a tablespoon or so of water and pouring that in too. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients, then taste for seasoning. Whack a lid on (or cover with foil) and place back in the oven to heat through.

Put humpty together → When the pumpkin’s done its microwave macarena, stir it through your tomato sauce, along with half the cheesy crumbs. Top with the remaining cheesy crumbs. Cover again and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden melty and the dish is bubbling on the edges.

Finally, crank the temperature to 240°C (475°F) or flick on the grill (broil) setting for 5 minutes to get some serious bronze on the crumb. If you can, let the dish sit out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving. This will help the sauce thicken up more … and your diners will be less likely to burn their mouths!

Bring it home → Serve drizzled with a little of your best extra virgin olive oil and a little salt flake glitter from a height

Double duty → The parma can be reheated in the microwave with some  more zapping, or in the oven, from cold. Once the oven’s warm, the dish will  be heated through too!