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

What kind of pumpkin is best for soup? ›

“Pumpkin soup is best made with your good, old-fashioned varieties like butternut or Queensland blue — the harder pumpkins,” she says. “Soft fleshed pumpkins can make the soup a little watery. They are a different beast… from your standard greengrocer pumpkin.”

How do you substitute fresh pumpkin for canned pumpkin? ›

Canned pumpkin is simply cooked pumpkin. To substitute fresh pumpkin, all you do is cook your pumpkin and scoop out 15 ounces (about two cups) of pumpkin flesh. You open it up and scoop out the seeds (which can themselves be roasted for a tasty snack).

What part of the pumpkin do you use for pie? ›

To make pumpkin pie straight from a pumpkin, start by cutting a round cap out of the top of the pumpkin and then scooping out the stringy insides and seeds. Then, cut the remaining pumpkin shell into small cubes or slices and boil them over medium heat until they're soft.

What is the most delicious pumpkin? ›

For cooking, you'll want to use sugar pumpkins (also called pie or sweet pumpkins), which are small and round. Long Island Cheese pumpkins, which are more oblong and can look like a wheel of cheese, are also good to eat. Field pumpkin types are larger, have watery, stringy flesh, and are best for decorating.

Is pumpkin soup good for blood pressure? ›

Lowers blood pressure: A pumpkin's orange color is a sign that it's packed with potassium, which helps lower blood pressure, strengthen the bones, and reduce your risk of stroke and kidney stones.

Is fresh pumpkin better than canned for pie? ›

Fresh: Velvety, creamy, and slightly loose and fluffy. The baked pumpkin pie filling made with fresh puree almost reminded me of flan (but a slightly overcooked one). Regular canned: Loose, smooth, very thick, and reminiscent of ricotta cheese. This was the least watery of the three.

How many cups of fresh pumpkin is 15 oz? ›

One (15 ounce) can pumpkin is just shy 2 cups fresh cooked pumpkin.

Is fresh pumpkin better than canned pumpkin? ›

Canned pumpkin is more convenient, helps save time, and isn't as messy as breaking down and de-seeding a large pumpkin. Fresh pumpkin is more fresh-tasting. It can be less expensive (depending on how much pumpkin you're using) and definitely doesn't contain fillers.

Can you use the stringy part of pumpkin for pie? ›

Then simply cut the pumpkin in half. You can cut off the stem if you want to, but you don't need to. Next you'll need to scrape out all of the seeds, which you can save to roast later, as well as the stringy mass. Make sure to get all of the strings.

Can any pumpkin be a pie pumpkin? ›

This isn't the case for the vegetables you'll want to use in fresh pumpkin pie. Avoid ornamental varieties and large pumpkins, bred for size and looks, not flavor. Instead, choose those labeled as "pie pumpkins." They are small, dense, and rich in color, with sweet, full-flavored flesh.

What are 2 types of pumpkins perfect for pies? ›

Pumpkin Varieties for Cooking

Flesh of carving pumpkins are generally stringy, watery and bland, but can be used for making pies. The best varieties for making pumpkin pies are Baby Bear, Cinderella, Jarrahdale and Fairytale.

What kind of pumpkin is best for cooking? ›

The sugar pie pumpkin, also known as sugar pumpkin, is a small pumpkin that is prized for its sweet and smooth flesh. This variety is specifically cultivated for its culinary uses, making it the go-to choice for homemade pumpkin pies, custards, and other delectable treats.

What is the best canned pumpkin to use? ›

The Best Overall: Libby's 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin

The 100+ year old company bought the rights to grow a special kind of Dickinson pumpkin for their brand, and that is one of the key reasons their canned pumpkin is so reliable and consistent year after year.

What kind of pumpkin is best for boiling? ›

Yes, you can boil any type of pumpkin. Whether it's a large carving pumpkin or a smaller sugar pumpkin, the boiling method is suitable for all varieties.

What kind of pumpkins are used for canned pumpkin? ›

Dickinson pumpkins, also known as Dickinson squash, are the pumpkins used to make the majority of canned pumpkin we eat today. But Dickinson pumpkins are tan pumpkins with uniform, smooth skin that are much larger than the average field pumpkin. They're also sometimes called squash, not pumpkins.

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