¼teaspoonpaprika Optional; or cayenne pepper for hot seeds, or use a bit of both
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
If you're using fresh pumpkin seeds (from a pumpkin or other kind of squash), rinse the seeds, remove all squash debris, and place in a pot with water and some salt, and set to a low boil for about 15 minutes. You want to have about twice as much water as seeds in the pot. If you're using pepitas, there's no need to boil them.
Drain the seeds and lightly mix them with the olive oil and also oil the baking sheets. Alternatively, line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the seeds across the baking sheets.
Sprinkle the salt lightly across all the seeds. Optionally, sprinkle cayenne pepper and smoked paprika across all the seeds as well.
Bake the seeds for about 15 minutes (about 10 minutes for the pepitas), or until they are as browned as you like them. I like to let them brown. If you're baking pepitas, bake them for 8 to 10 minutes.