Meat eaters will be raving about this vegetarian dish, too – it's the perfect sharer for home entertaining

Use naturally gluten-free, small corn tortillas to make this dish as authentic as possible, but you can use large tortillas cut down, too. It's ideal for your vegetarian guests too if you're preparing an all-American Labor Day menu.

Ingredients

• 10½ oz (about 3 cups) peeled, deseeded pumpkin or butternut squash, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 can (14 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed (reserve 2 tbsp liquid)
• 5 tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• ⅓ cup tomato salsa
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and diced
• 2 tbsp cilantro (fresh coriander), chopped
• 1 green onion, very finely chopped
• 1 handful cherry tomatoes (about ½ cup), roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 5 tbsp vegetable or corn oil
• 10–12 small corn tortillas (or 4 large tortillas, cut to size)
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 2 oz crumbly, tangy cheese such as queso fresco or feta

Method

• Roast the pumpkin: Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss diced pumpkin with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet (like these Nordicware baking sheets from Walmart) and roast for 25–30 minutes until tender and just beginning to brown.
• Cook onion and beans: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet (we like the MadeIn Ceramiclad pans from Crate & Barrel) over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add garlic, cumin, and black beans (plus 2 tbsp reserved liquid). Cook gently for 5 minutes, mashing some of the beans lightly with the back of a spoon to thicken. Keep warm.
• Toast the pumpkin seeds: In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Make the avocado salsa: In a bowl, combine diced avocados, cilantro, green onion, cherry tomatoes, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Fry or toast the tortillas: Heat 5 tbsp vegetable or corn oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry tortillas one at a time for about 1 minute per side until crisp, then drain on paper towels. (Alternatively, bake tortillas brushed lightly with oil at 375°F until crisp.)
• Assemble the tostadas: Spread the black bean mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with roasted pumpkin, shredded lettuce, avocado salsa, and crumbled Wensleydale cheese. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.
• Serve immediately: Offer extra salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges at the table.

If you're looking for more meat-free small plate or sharing dishes, try our vegetarian mezze with baba ganoush and salsa for some Eastern flavor.