Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Garlic and Parmesan Recipe

Garlic butter makes everything better, including roasted pumpkin seeds.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated March 19, 2020
Pumpkin Seeds With Garlic and Parmesan

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 minced garlic cloves with a pinch of red pepper flakes in a small sautée pan and cook over medium-low heat just until the butter foams and the garlic is fragrant. Set aside.

Roast your seeds according to our Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe, removing them from oven half way through roasting. Toss with the garlic oil and continue roasting. When cool, toss with a few tablespoons of finely grated parmesan and chopped parsley or basil.

. Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

  • Drying the seeds before roasting ensures they can be evenly coated in oil, for a perfectly toasted texture.
  • Roasting the pumpkin seeds at a moderate temperature dries them out without burning them, for a golden exterior and crisp center.
  • An extra coating of garlic butter, Parmesan, and herbs adds classic and comforting flavors.

Combine garlic butter, Parmesan, and fresh herbs for a supremely rich and compulsively snackable variation on basic roasted pumpkin seeds.

Recipe Details

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Garlic and Parmesan Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pumpkin seeds

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable, canola, or olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter

  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced

  • Pinch red pepper flakes

  • 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley

Directions

  1. Carefully wash pumpkin seeds to remove all excess pulp. Transfer pumpkin seeds to a paper towel–lined rimmed baking sheet. Allow to rest at room temperature until completely dry, about 1 hour. To speed up the process, dry pumpkin seeds in a 200°F (90°C) oven, stirring occasionally, or use a hair dryer.

  2. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). In a large bowl, toss dried pumpkin seeds with oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

  3. While seeds are roasting, in a small sauté pan, combine butter, minced garlic, and red pepper and cook over medium-low heat, just until butter foams and garlic becomes fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.

  4. Remove pumpkin seeds from oven and transfer back to large bowl. Add garlic butter to bowl and toss with pumpkin seeds to coat. Return pumpkin seeds to baking sheet, return sheet to oven, and continue roasting until seeds are pale golden brown, about another 12 minutes.

  5. When seeds have cooled, transfer to a serving bowl, toss with grated Parmesan and chopped herbs, and serve.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, Microplane grater

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
138Calories
10gFat
9gCarbs
4gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories138
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g13%
Saturated Fat 3g16%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 120mg5%
Total Carbohydrate 9g3%
Dietary Fiber 3g11%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg2%
Calcium 31mg2%
Iron 1mg3%
Potassium 158mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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