Homemade Pumpkin Purée

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Under cold water, wash the pumpkin and dry it thoroughly. Using a large knife, cut it in half.
3. Scoop out the seeds, using a metal spoon or an ice cream scoop, and innards and set aside. (P.S. If you'd like to roast the seeds, clean them thoroughly, allow them to air-dry for a few hours and then toss with a bit of olive oil and any spices you like; think Madras curry powder, cayenne pepper or even good salt and pepper.)
4. Rub a baking sheet with the teaspoon of vegetable oil and transfer the two pumpkin halves, skin-side up. Place the pumpkin in the oven to roast for 1 hour, or until tender.
5. Allow it to cool slightly, about 15 minutes, before handling. Scoop out the pumpkin and place it in the bowl of a food processor. (Depending on how big your food processor is, you may need to do this in batches.) Blend the pumpkin until completely smooth.
6. Sugar pie pumpkins tend to be drier, but if the pumpkin pie looks a bit wet, feel free place the pumpkin puree in a cheesecloth-lined sieve, placed over a bowl. I did this step just to see how much water would be drained and ended up with only a few teaspoons of water.
7. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.