Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh pumpkin (sugar, cheese, or Jack-Be-Little), cut into roughly 4 by 5-inch wedges
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• Special equipment: cheesecloth

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush flesh sides of pumpkin wedges with butter. Arrange, flesh side down, in a large roasting pan, and cover pan tightly with foil. Bake, turning pieces after 1 hour, until flesh is very tender when pierced with a fork, about 2 hours. Remove foil and cool pumpkin in pan until it can be handled.

Discard any liquid that may have accumulated and scoop out pumpkin flesh, then puree pulp in batches in a food processor. Transfer to a large sieve or colander lined with several layers of cheesecloth set over a large bowl.

Drain puree, chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap, 8 hours or overnight.

Puree keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days or, frozen in an airtight container, 2 months.