Name: 🎃 Onion-Free Spiced Pork & Rice Stuffed Pumpkin
Ingredients: 1 medium pumpkin; Olive oil, for brushing; Salt & pepper; 1 lb ground pork; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp fennel seed, lightly crushed; 1/2 tsp red chili flakes; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp sweet paprika; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp ground coriander; 1/8 tsp hing; 1 rib celery, finely diced; 1 small carrot, finely diced; 8 oz crimini mushrooms, diced; 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 4 cups chopped kale; 1 cup long grain rice; 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock; 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped; 1/4 cup dried cranberries or sour cherries; 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Instructions

Prep the pumpkin

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Cut the top off the pumpkin, scoop out seeds/fibers, season the inside generously with salt, and brush lightly with olive oil.

Season & cook the pork

In a skillet, combine ground pork with salt, pepper, fennel seed, chili flakes, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, garlic powder, coriander, and hing. Cook over medium heat, breaking it up, until browned and fragrant (6–8 min). Transfer to a large bowl.

Cook the vegetables

In the same skillet, add a splash of oil if needed. Sauté celery and carrot until softened (~4 min). Add mushrooms and cook until browned (~5 min). Stir in fresh sage, cook 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine (or stock) and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add this mixture to the pork bowl.

Wilt the greens

Add kale to skillet with a drizzle of oil, season with salt, and sauté ~2 min until wilted but still bright. Transfer to a separate bowl.

Cook the rice

In the same skillet, add a little oil. Stir rice until coated, then add stock. Cover and cook on low ~15 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Combine the filling

Stir rice into the pork–vegetable mixture. Fold in kale, walnuts, cranberries, and parsley. Adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, chili) to taste.

Stuff & bake

Place pumpkin in a roasting dish. Fill with the pork–rice mixture, packing gently. Replace lid. Roast at 450°F for 30 minutes, then reduce to 350°F and continue 20–30 minutes, or until pumpkin flesh is tender when pierced.

Serve

Rest 10 minutes. Slice pumpkin into wedges or scoop out filling with flesh together.

Note

When you try it, watch a couple things:

Hing strength – it blooms quickly in hot fat, so if you want a smoother background note, add it with the pork + spices right at the start, not later.
Pumpkin doneness – check at ~1h15min; if the flesh is soft enough, you don’t need to keep baking. Overbaking can make the outside collapse.

🎃 Onion-Free Spiced Pork & Rice Stuffed Pumpkin

Ingredients

For the pork filling (Italian sausage style)

Vegetables & rice