Calabaza seeds are enormous and perfect for roasting! They have a robust and almost sweet flavor that pairs incredibly well with a dash of salt and pepper for a snack or sprinkled on top of any calabaza squash dish. The seeds aren't nearly as large as the size of the squash might suggest. And really resemble pie pumpkin or butternut squash seeds more than anything else. Just in much larger quantities! Because of the size of the gourd.
Baking Sheet (or oven-safe skillet or baking dish)
Oven
Ingredients
seedsofcalabaza squash(or similarly large squash or pumpkin)
1tbsp.olive oil
dashsalt
dashpepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut squash in half.
Using a spoon, scoop out the innards to remove all of the seeds and stringy pieces.
Separate the seeds.This can be kind of tedious, but stick with it. The "guts" are still edible, but can be texturally unpleasant and burn faster than the seeds. I will usually keep them to puree into soup or pet food. However, most people will discard them! Just make sure not to toss any seeds!
Add seeds to a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.You want just enough oil to coat them, but not drown them. You're roasting, not deep frying here! You can also do this directly on the baking sheet. Just be careful not to over oil them. You're roasted the seeds, not deep frying them!The exact amount of salt and pepper also depends on the amount of seeds and personal preference. You can always add more after roasting if you under season it.
Spread across a baking sheet so that the seeds aren't touching too much.I will pat my fingers across the seeds to rapidly separate them. It's almost like trying to flatten the pile. The seeds will just slide away from one another. It's alright if they're touching, just not on top of one another.
Roast the seeds for 10-12 minutes, or until just golden brown.
Remove from the oven and immediately the seeds or remove from the baking sheet entirely to let cool.They will continue to cook slightly on the baking sheet. So, if you don't mind them a little crisper, leave on. If they're definitely done or even overdone slightly, remove from the baking sheet as soon as possible!