Roasted garlic and pumpkin hummous

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4, and put in a roasting tray to heat.

2. For the roasted garlic and pumpkin: put the pumpkin chunks into a bowl with the olive oil, cumin, allspice, whole garlic cloves, chilli and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, then pile into the hot roasting tray.

3. Roast the pumpkin and garlic for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning and stirring regularly. Take special care with the garlic to make sure that it doesn’t burn but just caramelizes.

4. Remove the pumpkin and garlic from the oven and transfer to a food processor. Blend to a smooth purée, then transfer to a bowl.

5. For the hummous: in a bowl mix all the hummous ingredients together, then blend to a purée in a clean food processor. Tip back into the mixing bowl, stir well and season with salt and black pepper. Spoon into a jar and serve with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and an extra sprinkling of cayenne.

6. Fold the pumpkin and garlic purée into the hummous and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Finish with the pumpkin seeds on top. Serve.

For Allegra's other mezze ideas, see her recipes for Moroccan meatballs, magic beans and flatbread.