Neil Perry's roast pumpkin and sweet potato with tomato and pea sauce

Name: Neil Perry's roast pumpkin and sweet potato with tomato and pea sauce
Cook time: 1 h
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: ½ small Japanese pumpkin, about 750g, cut into 4 wedges and deseeded; 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 4 rounds; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; sea salt

Neil Perry

June 7, 2021

This tomato and pea sauce is very versatile.William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hour

I love this tomato and pea sauce. It can be used with just about any meat – it's particularly well suited to fish and chicken – but with roasted vegetables, it's an absolute treat. It's spectacular with roasted potatoes, especially with the sheep's yoghurt sauce on top and a bit of sour cream on the side. In summer, use juicy vine-ripened tomatoes for this sauce; in winter, there's nothing wrong with a trusty tin.

Ingredients

½ small Japanese pumpkin, about 750g, cut into 4 wedges and deseeded
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 4 rounds
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

For the tomato and pea sauce

60ml extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp Salsa Macha chilli paste*
400g can of tomatoes, diced (preferably San Marzano)
1 cup blanched frozen baby peas
100ml quality red wine vinegar
100g unsalted butter

For the finishing sauce

½ cup sheep's yoghurt, seasoned
3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C conventional (180C fan-forced).
2. Toss the pumpkin and sweet potato in a bowl with olive oil and sea salt, place them on a baking tray and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes or until tender and golden brown.
3. To make the tomato sauce, place a pan over medium heat before adding the oil, then the garlic and a sprinkle of sea salt. Cook for a couple of minutes until the garlic is fragrant (not browned), then add the chilli paste, the tomatoes (including the liquid), peas and red wine vinegar. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until it has thickened into a sauce. Add butter, swirl and remove from the heat.
4. To make the finishing sauce, place the yoghurt in a bowl, stir through the parsley, check the seasoning and add a good grind of pepper.
5. Spoon the tomato sauce into the centre of each plate and place a piece of pumpkin and sweet potato on top. Pour over the yoghurt to finish.
*Salsa Macha is available from fireworksfoods.com.au