Roasted Pumpkin with Feta

Dinner, Side Dish

Wedges of sweet roasted pumpkin, caramelised at the edges, scattered with salty feta and fragrant herbes de Provence. This isn't a traditional French dish, it's a modern riff that borrows the best of Provençal flavours. Stupid easy, looks impressive, works as a side or a light main.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 4

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Ingredients  

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• 1 kg pumpkin or butternut squash
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
• 100 gr feta
• 1 handful flat-leaf parsley
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds optional, for serving

Equipment

• baking tray
• knife
• chopping board
• mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1. Preheat and prep

   Get your oven up to 200°C (180°C fan). While it heats, tackle the pumpkin. Butternut squash is the easiest option here, the skin peels off fairly easily. Traditional pumpkin varieties need a bit more knife work, but they caramelise beautifully. Cut into wedges roughly 3cm thick at the widest point. Consistency matters more than perfection, you want them to cook at the same rate.
2. 2. Season the pumpkin

   In a small bowl, mix the olive oil with the honey. Arrange the pumpkin wedges in a single layer in a large baking tray, don't crowd them or they'll steam rather than roast. Drizzle over the honey-oil mixture and use your hands to coat each piece. Scatter over the herbes de Provence, and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. 3. Roast until caramelised

   Slide into the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes, turning the wedges halfway through. You're looking for tender flesh (a knife should slide through easily) and golden, slightly charred edges. The honey will help them caramelise, don't panic if some bits look almost burnt, that's flavour.
4. 4. Add the feta and finish

   Remove from the oven and immediately scatter over the crumbled feta while the pumpkin is still hot. The residual heat will soften the cheese slightly without melting it completely. Finish with the fresh parsley and pumpkin seeds if using. Serve warm.

Notes

• Squash choice: Butternut squash is the most reliable option, it holds its shape well and has a sweet, nutty flavour. Potimarron (red kuri squash) works brilliantly if you can find it, and the skin is thin enough to eat once roasted. Crown Prince or Delica are also excellent.
• Don’t skip the honey: It’s not there for sweetness alone, it helps the pumpkin caramelise and creates those sticky, golden edges that make this dish.
• Feta variations: Greek feta (sheep’s milk) has more tang and crumble. Danish or “salad cheese” is milder but won’t have the same punch. Use what you prefer, but proper feta makes a difference.
• Make it vegan: Skip the feta and finish with toasted pine nuts or walnuts and a drizzle of tahini. Still brilliant.
• Serving suggestions: Excellent alongside roast lamb or chicken. Also works as a light vegetarian main with crusty bread and a green salad, or tossed through couscous or lentils.

About this recipe

Let’s be honest: roasted pumpkin with feta is not a French classic. You won’t find it in Escoffier, and your average Parisian bistro isn’t serving it. It’s much more at home in modern Australian or Middle Eastern cooking, where the combination of sweet roasted squash, salty cheese, and warm spices has been a staple for years.

But it works beautifully with French flavours! The French have been roasting courges (squash) for centuries, particularly in Provence where the combination of olive oil and dried herbs is practically law. The courge musquée de Provence, a traditional variety with deep orange flesh, has been grown in the south of France for generations. And while the French might typically reach for chèvre or Gruyère rather than feta, the principle is the same: sweet vegetable, salty cheese, aromatic herbs.

This recipe takes that Mediterranean crossover and leans into the Provençal side. The herbes de Provence, that classic blend of thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sometimes lavender, ties it to the south of France. The honey is right at home there too. Think of it as French cooking with a modern, globe-trotting twist.

Pumpkin season in France runs from September through to March, and markets across the country pile up with dozens of varieties: the ridged Musquée de Provence, the chestnut-flavoured potimarron, the elongated butternut. Each region has its favourite preparations – gratins in the Alps, soups in Brittany, sweet tarts in the Loire. Adding feta to the mix is not traditional, but it’s hardly a crime. Good cooking has always borrowed across borders.