Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour 
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut Pumpkin 
• ½ Tbsp Italian Mixed Herbs  
• 1 Leek 
• 3 Garlic Cloves 
• 120 Spinach Leaves  
• 250g Cream Cheese 
• ¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese 
• 2 Tbsp HFM Pesto  
• Salt & Pepper 
• Olive oil  

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 
2. Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise and remove the core with the seeds. 
3. Sprinkle with the Italian mixed spice and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and rub all around. 
4. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper flesh down and cook in the oven for 40 mins. 
5. Meanwhile, finely slice the leek & roughly chop the garlic. 
6. Bring a frying pan to medium high heat, drizzle with olive oil and add the leeks. Saute for 3 mins and add the garlic. Saute until golden and soften. Remove from pan and place into a large mixing bowl. 
7. Sauté the spinach for 2-3 mins on high heat in the same frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil until vibrant green. Remove from pan and place into the bowl.  
8. Add the cream cheese to the bowl. Add the pesto and add the parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper and mix well until combined. 
9. Once the pumpkin is soft, carefully turn them around and scoop out some of the flesh to create a cavity along the pumpkin. Add the flesh to the bowl with the cream cheese and mix it through.  
10. Fill in the cavity of the pumpkin with the cream cheese and pesto filling, sprinkle with some more parmesan cheese and put it back into the oven. Change the setting to broil or grill and cook for another 5-10mins checking from time to time to not let it burn until golden brown.  
11. Remove from oven and serve on a platter with extra drizzles of pesto and extra parmesan if desired. Enjoy.