RECIPE: Cooking with fresh pumpkin

We've all done it, bought a can of pumpkin and used it to make our favorite pumpkin dishes (mine is pumpkin muffins). I have found, though, that the best flavors come from making your own puree from scratch, and it's not hard at all. Here are some directions, care of our friends at the Food Network.

The best way to cook [a pumpkin to use as puree] is to roast it, like you would a butternut squash. So cut it into halves or quarters (depending on its size), scoop out the seeds (save those for toasting later, if you'd like), and put the pieces in a roasting pan with about half a cup of water, and roast it in a medium-hot oven till it's really tender. Scoop it out of the skin with a spoon once it's cool enough to handle, then puree it in a food processor or blender to make sure all the stringy bits are gone. One pumpkin should give you about two cups of puree, which you can then season and use for pie, ravioli, risotto, or simply as a side dish.