I keep pepitas around the kitchen all year round and use them to top off salads, pastas, stews, and a wide variety of vegetable dishes. Or, just acappella, for a snack without any accompaniment at all.
Pepitas is the Spanish culinary term for pumpkin seeds. Also commonly used in Mexican cuisine, pepitas date back at least to the time of the Aztecs, as pumpkins originated in the New World and were brought to Europe with the Spanish explorers circa 1500. Letting nothing go to waste, the Aztecs used the flesh as well as the seeds in their cooking. They’re a very healthy addition to most any dish, and are a great source of protein.
As an additional historical note, pumpkin oil is extracted from hulled seeds. High in polyunsaturated fats, the oil is a good source of heart-healthy omega-3, according to the Director of Nutrition at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. But it takes a LOT of pumpkins to get a significant quantity of pumpkin oil: roasted and pressed, the seeds of 30 pumpkins yields 4 cups of oil!
Just starting to sauté
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Cook’s Notes:
- You can use unsalted pumpkin seeds bought at a store or farmer’s market, or reserved them from pumpkin. Seeds from butternut squash work well here too!
- Feel free to use whatever spices strike your fancy!
- If you toast up the seeds you retrieve from a pumpkin or other squash, scoop out the seeds and place in a bowl of water. Let soak for 30 minutes. The soaking starts to separate the stingy squash fiber from the seeds, making it MUCH easier to detach the seeds. Let them dry out before toasting.
- I use this same recipe when toasting pine nuts.
- This can also be done in the oven at 350° F.
Ingredients…
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- pinch ground cayenne pepper
- pinch ground smoked paprika
Making It…
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat a small sauté pan over medium – low heat. Add the pumpkin seeds, tossing frequently as they brown.
- Cool and store in an air-tight container.
