What to do With a Pumpkin?

What to Do With a Pumpkin:

You may see the darling little pumpkins at the store called pie or sugar pumpkins. These can of course be carved and added to your normal pumpkin motif to create size and height variation, but they are also delicious! It is so easy to roast and use a pumpkin! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up. Cut the top off your pumpkin like you would when carving it and then cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds (save-see note below or roast them for yesterday's FOOD IDEA). Drizzle the interior flesh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and if you want, I like to use a little curry powder. If you are using the pumpkin for a sweet dish, don"t use the salt or pepper and you can add things like nutmeg or cinnamon. Place the pumpkin cut side down on the lined baking sheet and roast for about 35-45 min. or until the skin is so soft that it sinks in a bit and the flesh is tender enough to easily pierce with a fork. When it is done, let it cool for a while and the skin will peel right off in large chinks. You are left with gorgeous soft pumpkin! You can cut it up and eat as is, or puree it for sauces, pies, or breads. Last night I pureed it in the food processor with some heavy cream, then sauteed it with a bit of garlic and olive oil for a fantastic pumpkin cream pasta sauce. Let your imagination run and try roasted pumpkin tonight!