How to Roast and Purée Pumpkin

Difficulty level: Easy

Sure, you can buy canned pumpkin, but it’s cheaper, healthier, and tastier to make your own pumpkin purée. All you need is a nice pumpkin (smaller is better), a few common kitchen tools, and some time.

How to roast pumpkin

  1. Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half from top to bottom (through the stem).
     
  2. Use a sturdy spoon to scoop out all of the soft flesh, including strings and seeds (set them aside for roasting!)
     
  3. Place pumpkin halves cut side down on lightly oiled cookie sheet and place in oven.
     
  4. Bake at 350-400 for 45-90 minutes. The amount of time depends on the size of the pumpkin. It’s done when you poke the skin with a fork and it goes easily into the flesh.
     
  5. Remove from oven and let cool.

Roasted pumpkin is delicious cubed or mashed and drizzled with olive oil and fresh herbs.

How to make pumpkin purée

  1. Scoop the roasted, cooled pumpkin flesh out of the shell and place in a bowl.
     
  2. Use a potato masher to thoroughly mash the pumpkin.
     
  3. 1 pound raw pumpkin = approximately 1 c pumpkin purée

Winter squash

This also works for other winter squashes: acorn, butternut, hubbard, etc.

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Roasted and pureed pumpkin