Food

The culinary stars have aligned this year — or maybe we're just being thrifty — but it seems slews of Americans are asking how to use pumpkins for more than just a pretty Halloween face. The pumpkin isn't just loved for its looks in the fall of 2008.

We've trolled for ideas on using pumpkin and its various components (and, yes, we've thought of the canned pumpkin lovers, too). One (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree is equal to 1 3/4 cups. Pumpkin is a nutrient-rich food. It is low in cholesterol and sodium. It is high in vitamin E and potassium. A terrific source of fiber, pumpkin also contains vitamins A, C and K, iron and manganese.

Pumpkin can go sweet: sweeten it with maple syrup, honey or brown sugar and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger or all-spice. Or it can go savory: combine with onions, garlic, curry powder, sage and cumin.

Here are the best, fresh off the vine.

Pasta, pumpkin and parmesan

This dish goes out to all of you who fear to cut into a pumpkin for anything other than a jack-o-lantern.

Until recently, I was like you. Until a cute little sugar pumpkin arrived, and sat on our counter staring at me for a couple of weeks as I pondered whether to eat it, or put it out as a porch decoration.

This recipe is adapted from Everyday Food.

Rigatoni with Roasted Pumpkin and Parmesan
Serves 4

1 medium sugar pumpkin (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces rigatoni
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss pumpkin, shallots, oil, rosemary and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl until combined. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet (use two if the sheet is too crowded). Roast until pumpkin is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Toss vegetables halfway through, and rotate sheets if necessary.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot. Add butter, cheese and pasta water; toss until butter has melted. Gently fold in pumpkin mixture and season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving bowls and serve immediately.

Ready-made pumpkin: Fruit of the can

Baked Pumpkin Brulee French Toast
Makes 8 servings

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 vanilla bean (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)
4 large eggs
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt (or more for taste)
1 (2-pound loaf) egg bread, cut into 3/4-inch slices (about 20 slices)
1/4 cup brown sugar
Whipped cream and raw sugar or confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Butter a 10-inch springform pan and wrap the outside with aluminum foil.

Combine the milk, cream and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until warm but do not boil; remove from the heat and let mixture sit about 20 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and pour mixture into a large bowl. With a knife, carefully slit open the bean and scrape in the seeds. (Save the pod for future use. Barden pats it dry and puts it in superfine granulated sugar and uses that to flavor coffee.)

In a separate mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs and yolks until light and frothy. Add the granulated sugar and whisk eggs until pale and fluffy. Slowly stir a small amount of egg mixture into the cooled milk mixture; do not rush the process or the eggs will curdle. Whisk in the pumpkin, ginger and salt.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dunk each slice of bread into the egg custard and then, slice by slice, arrange slices in the springform pan, overlapping the layers. Slowly pour the remainder of the mixture into pan. You should have at least 1/3 to 1/2 of the egg mixture left. Let sit30 minutes.

Place the springform pan inside a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot tap water until it reaches about halfway up pan sides. Bake about 90 minutes until the center is firm but not hard. During the last 10 or 15 minutes, sprinkle about 1/4 cup of brown sugar on the top and raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. The finished product should have a consistency similar to a quiche. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Allow the French toast to cool about 20 minutes before sliding a knife around the edge of the pan to unmold. Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of raw sugar or dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Pumpkin Roll
Makes 10 to 12 servings

For the cake:

3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts

Filling:

1 (6-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan and line with wax paper. Grease and flour the paper and set pan aside.

For the cake: In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on high speed with a hand mixer 5 minutes. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until batter is thick and lemon-colored. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.

In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Gently fold dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. Spread batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with walnuts. Bake 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn sponge cake out onto linen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off wax paper and roll cake up in a clean kitchen towel, starting at the short end; allow to cool.

For the filling: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy. When cake is cooled, carefully unroll cake and spread filling to within 1 inch of the edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Slice and dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.

For more pumpkin recipes, visit www.annistonstarbite.blogspot.com