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Makes
Approx. 2 cups purée
Author Notes
I had a little sugar pie pumpkin I wanted to make purée from, and all the methods I found online involved cutting it in half. This requires a lot of muscle, and I didn't feel like digging out the chain saw. I thought there had to be better way.
So on a complete lark I tried roasting it whole and it worked and nothing exploded which is always a good thing. —Sadassa_Ulna
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Ingredients
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1
Roughly 6" dia. Sugar Pie Pumpkin, scrubbed clean, stalk intact
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Small shallow baking dish
Directions
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Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Using the tip of a vegetable peeler - or an apple corer - make four holes at the top near the stalk base. The holes should be 1/2" in diameter and 1" deep.
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Place in small shallow baking dish and add water to fill about 1" deep.
Scrunch a large square of aluminum foil over stalk so it clings to stalk and forms a little umbrella but steam can still escape through holes in top of pumpkin.
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Bake 30 minutes; check water level. Add more if necessary. Bake 30 minutes more.
DO NOT open oven but turn off, leaving pumpkin inside for 3 HOURS.
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Pumpkin will still be a little warm after 3 hours but it will cut easily in half. Scoop out seeds first and set aside (for roasting?) The flesh will scoop easily and most likely not need to be puréed in a blender or processor but can be if desired.
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If the purée isnt thick enough place it the roasting pan (rinse out first) and bake in 400 degree oven until reduced to desired consistency.
Growing up I was the world's pickiest eater, that is, until my children were born. Karma. Neither of my parents were much into cooking; it was the height of eating fat-free or anything with oat bran added. I taught myself some basics, mostly baking, following the guidelines of a well-worn copy of Joy of Cooking. I was a ballet dancer and a teacher suggested I lose weight. As I began reading about diet and nutrition I became interested in natural foods, which led to a job at a macrobiotic natural foods market in Center City Philadelphia; this was way before Whole Foods came to the area. I learned a lot about food in general. I ate strictly vegan for a while, although I don't now, but I still like it when a recipe can taste great without butter or bacon! In short, my approach to cooking is idiosyncratic, and I don't know very much about cooking meat or proper technique. I love to bake and I am still working on expanding my palate and my repertoire. The hardest part is getting the whole family to try new things!
So aside from my food status, I am an architect who likes to garden and play music. I'm married with two kids, and I hope to get a dog someday.
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