Stuffed Pumpkin With Aromatic Rice Recipe
With fall comes cooler days, changing leaves, and stores brimming with pumpkins of all varieties. But as you shop for these colorful squash, know that there are so many uses for the mighty pumpkin beyond jack-o-lanterns and pie! This stuffed pumpkin with aromatic rice recipe, courtesy of recipe developer Julie Kinnaird, demonstrates how to use the pumpkin as both an ingredient and a vessel for a hearty rice and pork dish that's perfect for autumn.
This "one-pot" dinner is both festive and unexpectedly flavorful. Kinnaird uses brown basmati rice for its sturdy grain and fragrant, nutty character. The ground pork gets an umami boost from a combination of soy sauce and brown sugar, while basil and shishito peppers offer a kick of freshness and heat.
Selecting a suitable squash is key to the success of this crowd-pleasing meal, so be sure you know how to choose a pumpkin that won't rot too quickly before getting started. Next, you'll need a few tools to prepare your pumpkin for baking. A heavy, well sharpened chef's knife is best for carving out a lid for your pumpkin pot, and a good old-fashioned ice cream scoop works wonders for cleaning out all the guts and seeds. There's no waste in this recipe — the fleshy inner walls of the shell will soften during baking and become a sweet and nutritious component of the aromatic rice stuffing.
Gather the stuffed pumpkin with aromatic rice ingredients
Brown basmati rice and ground pork form the base of the pumpkin stuffing, along with yellow onion, shishito peppers, ginger, and garlic — all sauteed in vegetable oil. Water chestnuts and raw cashews add sweetness and crunch. Brown sugar, soy sauce, and coconut milk lend creamy and savory richness, while fresh basil gives an intensely herbal, aromatic finish.
Step 1: Clean the pumpkin
Cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out the seeds and pulp.
Step 2: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 3: Start the rice
Bring the water, salt, and rice to a boil in a large pot.
Step 4: Cover the pot
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the rice simmer.
Step 5: Test the rice
Cook the rice for about 35 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.
Step 6: Heat oil in pot
While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or saute pan over medium-high heat.
Step 7: Saute the vegetables
Add the onion, peppers, ginger, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
Step 8: Add the ground pork
Add the ground pork to the pan, breaking it up into small pieces and cooking until no longer pink.
Step 9: Create the sauce
Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and coconut milk to the pan, stirring to combine. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes over low heat.
Step 10: Add rice and remaining ingredients
Stir in the cooked rice, water chestnuts, cashews, and 1 ½ cups basil leaves.
Step 11: Fill the pumpkin
Spoon the rice mixture into the cleaned pumpkin shell.
Step 12: Replace the pumpkin lid
Transfer the filled pumpkin to a parchment-lined baking sheet and replace the pumpkin lid.
Step 13: Place pumpkin in oven
Place the baking sheet in the oven, adjusting racks as needed.
Step 14: Bake the stuffed pumpkin
Bake the pumpkin for 1 hour until the shell is tender and the filling is heated through.
Step 15: Transfer pumpkin to serving platter
Remove from oven and transfer to a platter.
Step 16: Serve the aromatic rice in bowls
Serve the pumpkin filling in bowls, mixing in a bit of the pumpkin flesh from inside the shell.
Step 17: Garnish with basil
Garnish each serving with remaining sliced basil, and enjoy right away.
How can I switch up the ingredients in this stuffed pumpkin recipe?
This recipe's key ingredients — rice, ground meat, and aromatic vegetables — can easily be modified to suit your taste preferences. Any flavorful long-grain rice will work well in place of brown basmati; just be sure to cook your chosen variety according to the package directions. Ground beef, chicken, or turkey will work in place of the pork, and different types of peppers with varying levels of heat can fill in for the shishitos (take care when working with extra spicy varieties!).
Cilantro or shiso leaf would be tasty in place of or in addition to the fresh basil. While cashew nuts are Kinnaird's favorite for this recipe because of their meaty texture and touch of sweetness, she says pine nuts would also add an interesting flavor dimension. Want to keep the dish nut-free? Try using shelled edamame in place of the cashews.
How do I store leftover stuffed pumpkin?
This recipe is versatile as an all-in-one main course but is also a great addition to a seasonal buffet. If you find yourself with leftovers at the bottom of the pumpkin, it is important to promptly remove them from the shell and store them in a separate container in the refrigerator. This is because the pumpkin will start to release liquid from its flesh once the filling is depleted.
Fortunately, there's no need to waste any of the cooked pumpkin flesh. Before transferring your rice to a container, scrape out any remaining pumpkin flesh, mix it into the rice, and then toss the shell into a compost bin. When you're ready to eat, reheat the leftover rice in a microwave-safe container or wrap in foil and heat in a conventional oven at 375 F. The stuffing will keep well for about 3 days in the fridge.
- 1 small to medium pumpkin (about 8-10 inches tall)
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups brown basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 8 shishito peppers, stems and seeds removed, sliced into thin rounds
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ pounds ground pork
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 (13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, sliced thin, divided
- Additional kosher salt or soy sauce for seasoning
- Cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out seeds and pulp.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Bring the water, salt, and rice to a boil in a large pot.
- Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let the rice simmer.
- Cook for about 35 minutes until all water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.
- While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, peppers, ginger, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the ground pork to the pan, breaking it up into small pieces and cooking until no longer pink.
- Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and coconut milk to the pan, stirring to combine. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes over low heat.
- Stir in the cooked rice, water chestnuts, cashews, and 1 ½ cups basil. Season with additional salt or soy sauce, if desired.
- Spoon the mixture into the cleaned pumpkin shell.
- Transfer the filled pumpkin to a parchment-lined baking sheet and replace the pumpkin lid.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven, adjusting racks as needed.
- Bake the pumpkin for 1 hour until the shell is tender and the filling is heated through.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a platter.
- Serve the pumpkin filling in bowls, mixing in a bit of the pumpkin flesh from inside the shell.
- Garnish each serving with remaining sliced basil, and enjoy right away.
| Calories per Serving | 843 |
| Total Fat | 53.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23.1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 81.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 63.2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6.7 g |
| Total Sugars | 10.7 g |
| Sodium | 1,428.4 mg |
| Protein | 31.1 g |
