Pumpkins Make Any Dish a Smashing Hit

These six recipes will give you new ways to celebrate fall's sweetest treat.

Oct. 22, 2008
By Jessie Fetterling 
Pumpkin
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Try picking out a fresh pumpkin at a pumpkin patch before making your delicious treats!
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The leaves are changing, and it’s finally cool enough to wear a sweatshirt again — fall is here! And what better way to celebrate fall than to pick out a pumpkin at a local pumpkin patch? This season, though, before you gravitate to the biggest, easiest-to-carve pumpkin, think about picking up a sugar (or pie) pumpkin to make delicious fall treats.

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Sugar pumpkins give any pumpkin recipe a better flavor and are smaller than your average Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin: They are about 4 pounds in size. Not only do they taste good, but they’re an excellent source of nutrients. All pumpkins contain a lot of beta-carotene, a phytonutrient that can reduce the risk of heart disease and the development of certain types of cancer. So, don’t just carve a pumpkin this year, try these recipes for unique dishes that capture fall’s flavor.

Note: Many of the recipes below call for pumpkin purée. Here’s how to make it via epicurious.com: Cut a sugar pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds. Place it cut-side down in a baking dish and pour in about a quarter inch of hot water. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the flesh is tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Turn the pumpkin halves cut-side up to cool. Scoop the pumpkin flesh from the skin and purée it in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the purée to a large sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth and let it drain for two to three hours until it is firm enough to hold its shape on a spoon.

Pastas

Rigatoni with Pumpkin and Bacon (from marthastewart.com)

Coarse sea salt
8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 sugar pumpkin (about 3 pounds), peeled and halved, seeds removed, and flesh cut into 
 3/4-inch cubes
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1/4 tsp allspice
1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
3 tbsp heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound rigatoni
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tbsp hulled raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted, for garnish

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