Roasting Pie Pumpkins to Make Puree (and How to Roast the Leftover Seeds)

 Ingredients

• 3 pie pumpkins
• a bit of neutral oil

Directions for Roasting & Pureeing the Pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
3. Slice off the tops & bottoms of your pumpkins.
4. With a scrub brush, thoroughly scrub your pumpkins under cold running water. Dry. Also be sure to clean your cutting board to remove any dirt. You do not want gritty pumpkin puree!
5. Slice your clean pie pumpkins in half from top to bottom. Scoop the seeds & flesh into a large bowl.
6. Using your finger, rub the rims of your pumpkin halves with a bit of oil. Then place the pumpkin halves cut-side down on your sheet pans. You should be able to fit three halves per sheet pan.
7. Roast the pumpkin halves in the oven until they are…done. Forget “fork tender”; that’s not good enough. Roast those suckers until they no longer keep their shape. It will probably take over an hour. Rotate the trays somewhere within the 30-40 minute mark. *[While your pumpkin halves are roasting, prepare your seeds for roasting.]
8. Once the pumpkins are sufficiently roasted, let them cool until you can slip the skins off without burning your fingers and cussing. While the pumpkins are cooling, line a colander with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl.
9. Cut the roasted and skinned pumpkin flesh into hunks. Then, working in batches, whirr the pumpkin flesh in the food processor on high power until it’s silky and smooth in texture. 
10. Spoon the puree into the colander. Once you’ve finished processing all of your pumpkin, cover the colander/bowl with foil and let the puree drain in the fridge overnight.
11. The next day, portion your drained puree into quart size freezer bags—15 ounces per bag. Label each bag and then freeze.

Directions for Roasting the Seeds

1. Remember the large bowl in which you chucked the seeds and innards? Fill it up with cold water. 
2. Now the fun part: reach your paws into the water and start separating the seeds from the innards. Toss the now-seedless innards in the trash. 
3. Once you’ve removed as much of the innards as possible, place a colander in the sink and dump the remaining contents of your bowl into the colander. Pick out any larger chunks of innards that remain, and then rinse the seeds under cold water.
4. Spread a towel out (preferably on a sheet pan or large cutting board), and spread the seeds out on the towel in a single layer. Blot the seeds with another towel or a healthy amount of paper towels.
5. Set the seeds aside so that they air dry a bit. If you remember to, stir them around at least once while they’re drying.
6. Once your pumpkin puree is in the fridge, heat your oven to 300 degrees and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Carefully pick up the towel and dump the seeds onto your sheet pan. [Your towel will have some stringies stuck to it. That’s fine. Just let the towel dry overnight, and shake the stringies off into the trash the next day.]
7. Place the sheet pan on the middle oven rack and roast the seeds until they just start turning golden—about 30 minutes. Make sure to stir the seeds every 5 minutes.
8. Let the seeds cool and either eat them or toss them outside for the critters to enjoy,