Pumpkin with Ground Meat and Pistachio Filling

Ingredients

• 1 old-fashioned roll
• 100 g long grain rice
• Salt
• 1 Hokkaido pumpkin (ca. 1.3 kg)
• 3 tbsp peeled pistachios
• 500 g mixed ground meat
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• pepper (ground)
• olive oil
• 1 Shallot
• 1 Garlic clove
• 600 g diced tomatoes (canned)
• sugar

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

2. 2.

   Soak the roll in lukewarm water. Cook the rice in boiling salted water for about 15 minutes.

3. 3.

   Cut a small lid from the middle of the pumpkin and remove seeds and fibers.

4. 4.

   Coarsely chop pistachios and mix with ground meat, cooled rice, egg, parsley, and well-extracted roll; season with salt and pepper.

5. 5.

   Place the pumpkin on an oiled tray, fill with the mixture, replace the lid. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1½ hours. After 1 hour cover with foil and continue baking to finish.

6. 6.

   For the tomato sauce, peel and finely chop shallot and garlic. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pot, sauté shallot and garlic until translucent. Add tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

7. 7.

   Remove pumpkin from oven, cut into wedges, and serve plated with tomato sauce.