Preparing pumpkin dishes
The simplest way of preparing pumpkins is by steaming them or baking them with a little butter and brown sugar. Steamed pumpkins taste good on their own, but are even more delicious with a knob of butter and a sprig of parsley. Pumpkins are also very tasty when served with a mushroom, tomato or cheese sauce.

Preparation:
You must always first cut the pumpkin into manageable sections. Use a large sharp knife for this. Then cut these sections into slices 2.5 cm wide and remove the rind, eyes and stringy core pulp.  

Steaming and simmering:
Steam the slices for 10-20 minutes until they are soft.
They can also be simmered. Do this is a pan with a cover and in a slow brisk heat. At first you will need a little water to prevent the slices from scorching. Afterwards the fruit itself will release sufficient moisture to prevent this and the pumpkin will simmer in its own juice. It will take between 20 and 30 minutes before the pulp becomes soft.

Baking:
Smaller varieties can be baked whole. Both the smallest (such as Jack-Be-Little) and the somewhat larger varieties (Butternuts, Acorns) must be pricked to enable the steam to escape. If not they will explode…

You can also cut them down the middle. They are delicious with a little butter but adding a few tablespoonfuls of ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon and a little sugar will lend added flavour. Leave them between 45 minutes and an hour in a moderately hot oven (180°C) until they are soft when you prick them with a fork.
When baking half a pumpkin place it with the cut-side down. Because the rind becomes much softer during the baking you can cut it and remove the seeds later.

Making pumpkin purée:
Prepare the pumpkin according to one of the methods described above until the pulp becomes soft. Preferably choose "winter pumpkins" or "winter squashes" as they are often somewhat dryer than the orange pumpkins, which makes the consistency less liquid. Excess moisture must be removed by heating, while stirring continuously to prevent the puree from scorching. This is better than draining as this also removes much of the taste.



The spaghetti squash

The spaghetti squash may look strange but it deserves to be better known. It is a light and healthy dish as long as it is accompanied by a low fat sauce.

The spaghetti squash can be boiled in a large saucepan of water or baked in a moderately hot oven (180°C) until the rind begins to split. Prick the rind a few times to allow the steam to escape and to prevent the pumpkin from "exploding". The pumpkin is ready when you can easily cut into it with a sharp knife.

Cut the pumpkin down the middle when it is cooked, using oven gloves to hold it, removing the seeds and inner section with a spoon. Then remove the pulp with a fork. it will come free in long strips, like spaghetti.

It is most tasty to simply eat the pulp as a vegetable, with a small knob of butter, salt and freshly ground pepper. But you can also serve it as a gratin, or with cheddar, matured cheese or any hard cheese variety. You can also use the pulp as a replacement for pasta and serve it with a variety of sauces.