Why it works: Pumpkin and spinach match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and 200 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, which smells clove, smoky. The science ↓
The recipe
4 servingIngredients
Contains: egg, milk (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place the pumpkin cubes and chopped potato in a pan of boiling water and cook about 10 minutes until tender. Drain well.
Heat a dry nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced red onion and cook about 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
Add the chopped spinach and stir for about 2 minutes until wilted.
Return the drained pumpkin and potato to the skillet and stir for about 2 minutes to combine with the onion and spinach.
In a bowl, mix the beaten eggs with the crumbled feta and shredded Cheddar. Pour evenly over the vegetables in the skillet.
Cook on the stovetop over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the edges begin to set.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the eggs are set in the center and reach 160°F (71°C). Rest 5 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Pumpkin + spinachtop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together200 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).
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Feta cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together40 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
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Potato + oniontop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together9,019 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Potato + cheddar cheesetop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together932 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Potato + spinachtop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together646 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pumpkin, potato, spinach, feta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg):
- Chivebetter flavor fit
- Asparagusbetter flavor fit
- Tomatobetter flavor fit
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pumpkin, potato, spinach, feta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
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