15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (2024)

Though you may wait until mid-October to put out your Jack-o'-Lantern, you don't have to wait as long to put pumpkin to work in your kitchen—the fruit actually begins to ripen in September. Local farmers will continue to offer succulent, fleshy pumpkins throughout autumn, and since they hold up so well, you can often find them at local markets well into winter.

The best pumpkins for cooking are very different from those you would choose to decorate. The ubiquitous field pumpkin—which is the most common variety used in carving—has watery, stringy flesh and isn't recommended for eating. Whether you're choosing to bake a classic pumpkin pie or simmer a large pot of pumpkin soup, you'll want to ask for sugar pumpkins or cheese pumpkins at the market. They're just as widely available, but they're much better suited to cooking and baking thanks to their dense, sweet flesh.

In their original form, pumpkins can keep for up to a month in a cool spot in your kitchen. If you want to continue cooking and baking fresh pumpkin recipes closer to the holidays, keep the pumpkin whole and store it in a cool cellar. That way it can retain its freshness for up to three months. Once you've cut into a pumpkin, however, the pieces should be wrapped tightly and refrigerated; you have up to five days to use both the flesh and seeds.

28 Pumpkin Dessert Recipes, Including Everything from Pies to Cheesecake

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Roasted Pumpkin With Shallots and Sage

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (1)

Sweet, tender sugar pumpkin is roasted with olive oil, sage, and shallots for an easy side dish on its own or tossed with rice, couscous, or pasta. In place of sage, you could use another robust herb, such as thyme, rosemary, or oregano.

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Mashed Potatoes With Pumpkin and Greens

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (2)

Give mashed potatoes a colorful, healthy upgrade by adding pumpkin and chard to the mix.

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Pumpkin and Pecorino Gratin

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (3)

Sugar-pumpkin purée is seasoned simply with salt and pepper, then baked under a crown of crunchy breadcrumbs and Romano cheese. This casserole makes a magnificent side dish with roast chicken or pork or a fabulous vegetarian entrée.

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Sugar Pumpkin Pasta With Garlic and Walnuts

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (4)

So very fall! This whole-wheat pasta dish is hearty, not heavy, and full of flavor thanks to cubes of roasted sugar pumpkin, plenty of garlic, toasted walnuts, and a touch of umami from anchovies. Sure, you can skip the anchovies if you must, but we think you'll find they add so much flavor to the finished dish.

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Pumpkin Pie

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (5)

We're sneaking a pie in to this collection of fresh pumpkin recipes because it's made with fresh—not canned—pumpkin and it's just so good. This pie has more delicious depth of flavor thanks to the roasted fresh pumpkin and just the right amount of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Make extra purée and freeze it so you can enjoy pumpkin desserts throughout the season.

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20 Seasonal Recipes That Start With Canned Pumpkin Puree

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Roasted Pumpkin

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (6)

Our recipe for basic roasted pumpkin is simple and very versatile. You can eat the sweet, fibrous flesh straight out of the shell with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, or you can get creative and use the roasted pumpkin flesh for purée or scope out the flesh and use it for Mashed Pumpkin with Cumin and Maple.

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Roasted Squash, Apple, and Cipollini Onion Salad

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (7)

Though the recipe title says "squash," this recipe can and should be made with sugar pumpkin. It's a hearty winter salad with mellow roasted vegetables and apples contrasting with the peppery watercress.

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Roasted Pumpkin Soup

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (8)

Fresh pumpkin is roasted with onion and shiitake mushrooms, then puréed to make a creamy (but cream-free!) soup. An immersion blender makes quick work of this simple, hearty meal.

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Coconut, Fish, and Pumpkin Stew

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (9)

This lively one-pot dinner features coconut milk, cod, pumpkin (or calabaza), baby spinach, and a touch of chile for a filling and healthy meal.

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White Bean and Sausage Stew in Pumpkin Bowls

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (10)

All dressed up for a fabulous fall dinner party, this hearty stew is baked in sugar pumpkins. A combination of navy beans, turkey sausage, mushrooms, carrots, leeks, potatoes, and peas makes a delicious, filling meal.

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Rigatoni With Roasted Pumpkin and Goat Cheese

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (11)

This easy, satisfying pasta dish is full of tender roast pumpkin and tangy goat cheese. For an even quicker dinner, roast the pumpkin ahead of time and heat it up just before tossing with the rigatoni.

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Beef, Pumpkin, and Shiitake Soup

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (12)

Starring sugar pie pumpkin or calabaza, this slowly simmered soupy stew is easy to make. It takes just 15 minutes of prep. When the beef chuck or neck bones are fork-tender, you add the vegetables that won't need long to cook. Fresh basil and a splash of fish sauce are not to be skipped for serving—the latter adds an exceptional hint of umami flavor.

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Pumpkin Soup With Wild Rice and Apples

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (13)

You can't go wrong with a tasty meal that doubles as décor. Mini pumpkins are filled with creamy pumpkin soup, then topped with chewy wild rice, crunchy almonds, and juicy apples. To serve this recipe as an entrée, add a protein (like roasted chicken or turkey) and more rice per pumpkin.

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Pumpkin Dip

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (14)

Give your next dip a fall-forward twist with this savory pumpkin version. Enjoy it with chopped vegetables, butter crackers, or crusty bread for a mouthwatering appetizer or snack.

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Maple Roasted Pumpkin Salad

15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (15)

Leafy green salad gets a seasonal upgrade with maple-sweetened roasted pumpkin. Crumbled feta cheese offers a tangy and creamy element, but you can use goat cheese or bleu cheese as well.

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15 Fresh Pumpkin Recipes for Fall, From Soup and Stew to Pasta and Pie (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat the pumpkin guts? ›

"You can use the 'guts' and stingy innards in a blended pumpkin soup," says Rebecca Pytell, recipe developer and food blogger at Strength and Sunshine. Make sure to puree them first so you get a silky texture in your delicious fall soup.

Should I poke holes in the bottom of my pumpkin pie crust? ›

But don't dock it (docking is aerating the crust before baking by poking it with the tines of a fork). This will cause the custard to seep out into the bottom crust, defeating that whole "flaky" thing you were going for. The test kitchen's vessel of choice for pie is a 9" glass Pyrex pan.

Do you need to peel pumpkin before cooking? ›

Depending on what type of squash you are using you might not need to peel it, with thinner skinned squash such as butternut squash you can eat the skin. For thicker skinned squash it is often easier to cut the squash into large wedges, roast, and then peel the skin off after it's cooked when it's softer and easier.

What part of the pumpkin is not edible? ›

Which part of the pumpkin can I eat? You can eat all of the pumpkin - except for its stalk. Whether you can eat the skin or not depends on the variety. Smaller varieties such as onion squash have deliciously edible skin, the skin of larger varieties may be too tough to eat or less than appealing.

Can you eat the stringy bits in a pumpkin? ›

Everything from inside your pumpkin can be recycled or used. Pumpkin innards, the stringy orange mess which you scoop out with a spoon ahead of carving, can be roasted, or pureed for cooking in soups.

Is pumpkin gut healthy? ›

May improve gut health

Pumpkin is a functional food ingredient that may benefit your stomach in many ways. Its peel has polysaccharides, which help the good bacteria in your stomach grow and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria. It's high in zinc and vitamin A, which may help improve the intestinal barrier.

What pairs well with pumpkin? ›

To complement pumpkin with sweet flavor pairings, consider using spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla, or sweet ingredients like chocolate, maple, honey, cranberries or brown sugar. Create savory dishes by pairing pumpkin with spices like chilies, cajun, cayenne or pepper.

How to get the guts out of a pumpkin? ›

How to Clean a Pumpkin for Carving
  1. Cut a large hole in the backside of your pumpkin, making sure the opening is big enough to easily reach inside. ...
  2. Use a large ice cream scoop or spoon to remove the guts.
  3. Smooth the insides with a clay modeling tool or a large spoon.
  4. Begin carving your masterpiece!

What to do after gutting a pumpkin? ›

  1. What can I do with the rest of my pumpkin? So, you carved a pumpkin and want to know how you can get the most out of your pumpkin without wasting it. ...
  2. Pumpkin Gut Bread. ...
  3. Pumpkin Body Scrub. ...
  4. Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup. ...
  5. Pumpkin Butter. ...
  6. Pumpkin Seeds. ...
  7. Pumpkin Seed Hummus.

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