Jess Dennison’s roast pumpkin + wine-braised beans

by Rach Pilston | Sep 25, 2025

Weekend Recipes is a book after our own heart. The latest self-published recipe book by Jess Elliott Dennison, generous food writer and founder of Elliott’s.

It was so hard to choose a favourite recipe that we have a couple coming your way over the next few months, as we head into the calmer autumn months. Firstly: Roast pumpkin and wine-braised beans with artichoke-caper dressing, how good does that sound?

From Jess: ‘When the interesting varieties of squashes and pumpkins like Red Kuri and Crown Prince start arriving at our local greengrocers each autumn, the first thing I want to make with them is this.

Roasting the pumpkin in generous wedges (as opposed to stingy cubes) until slightly charred at the edges not only looks inviting, but really intensifies their sweetness. It’s then simply a case of using the best of your store-cupboard to build additional layers of flavour and texture to further elevate the pumpkin. Jarred white beans braised with garlic, thyme and white wine feel almost habitual for me, as does this punchy dressing made from marinated artichokes, capers, parsley and
lemon for spooning over.

As there are so many delicious juices to mop up with this meal, I highly recommend some crusty bread for serving alongside, something like a sourdough baguette is ideal.’

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4

1 small Red Kuri squash or Delica pumpkin (roughly 850g)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp Halen Môn Pure Sea Salt
2 fat garlic cloves
2 sprigs thyme
1 700g jar of white beans
50ml white wine
100g jarred artichoke hearts in olive oil
2 tsp capers
10g flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon
white sourdough or crusty baguette, to serve

METHOD

First, preheat the oven to 200C (400/gas 6). Remove the stalk and base from the pumpkin then cut in half to scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into thick wedges then place on a baking tray large enough for the wedges to sit in a single layer (this is because you want the pumpkin to roast, rather than steam).
Drizzle over 2 tbsp oil, toss to coat, sprinkle over the salt then roast for 35–45 minutes, tossing half way through. You’re looking for the pumpkin to be completely tender in the middle and starting to catch and caramelise at the edges. Turn off the oven, but keep the pumpkin inside to keep it warm.
Meanwhile, peel the garlic, crush it with the side of your knife then roughly slice. Pick the thyme leaves and discard the woody stalks. Heat the sliced garlic, thyme leaves and the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan on a low-medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon.
Pour in the beans (and the jar juices), ensuring you crush the last few beans with your hands (this will make the sauce lovely and creamy). Add the wine then crank up the heat to high and simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally until creamy rather than soupy.
Have a taste for seasoning: the bean juice may be salty enough to season. Remove from the heat. Slice up the artichokes into thin wedges (not so fine that they lose their shape and beauty), then place in a small bowl. Crush and roughly chop the capers (again, don’t go too fine). Roughly chop the parsley then add to the artichoke bowl along with the capers. Stir to combine. You should find that the oil the artichokes were in is enough to dress the capers and parsley.
Divide the beans between 4 bowls or plates, top each with a few pumpkin wedges then spoon over the artichoke mixture along with any pumpkin-infused oil from the baking tray. Using a microplane, zest over the lemon, then squeeze a few drops of juice over each plate to finish. Serve with plenty of bread for mopping up.