Quinoa with roasted pumpkin, dates and sage

Ingredients:

• 1 small pumpkin (1–1.3 kg), cut in half and remove seeds
  Read: Pumpkin - how to choose, store and use in cooking
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups quinoa
• 3 cups pitted dates, cut into strips
• 1/4 cup small sage leaves, torn into pieces

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cut the pumpkin into approximately 8-cm pieces and arrange them skin-side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle the pumpkin pieces with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the pumpkin until tender, about 1 hour. Once the pumpkin has cooled, peel and discard the skin, and place the flesh in a bowl.
2. Meanwhile, place a large dry skillet over medium heat and add the quinoa. Toast for 5-10 minutes, or until fragrant. Add 3 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt; cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside; the quinoa will cook in its own heat.
3. Once the quinoa has cooled slightly, add it to the bowl with the roasted pumpkin along with the dates, torn sage leaves, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the quinoa and pumpkin at room temperature.