Four Unique Ways to Enjoy Pumpkin

Chef Rodney Murillo's Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Ingredients
2 Cups Elbow Macaroni, dried (8 ounces)
2 Tablespoons Butter, unsalted
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Cup Fontina Cheese, shredded (4 ounces)
½ Cup  Parmesan Cheese, grated
¼ Cup Blue Cheese
1 Cup Fresh Pumpkin, roasted and diced
To Taste Salt
To Taste Black Pepper, ground

Preparation
• Cook pasta in a large pot following package directions. Drain cooked pasta, return to pot. Set aside.
• For cheese sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in cream, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese and blue cheese until all of the cheese is melted.
• Add the pumpkin. Stir for a few more minutes, add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes until cheese sauce coats the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Split into 4 bowls to serve.
• Note: To roast pumpkin, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut whole pumpkin in half and cut each half into several pieces. Discard seeds or reserve for another use. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Pumpkin Mascarpone Cheese Soup

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 each Onion, diced
2 each Carrots, peeled and diced
1 each Apple, peeled and diced
2 Cups Fresh Pumpkin, roasted and diced
1 Tablespoon Fresh Sage, chopped
3 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Cup Cream
1 Cup Mascarpone Cheese
½ tsp Nutmeg
To taste Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions
• In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and sauté onion, carrot, apple, roasted pumpkin and sage until all are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Purée the mixture in a food mill; if you do not have a food mill, then purée in a food processor or blender. Return the purée to the stockpot, add the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cream and mascarpone cheese; simmer for additional 5 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary so it does not boil. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Divide soup among 4 soup bowls and serve immediately.
• Note: To roast pumpkin, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut whole pumpkin in half and cut each half into several pieces. Discard seeds or reserve for another use. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Pumpkin Risotto

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ each Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1/3 Cup Arborio Rice
½ Cup  White Wine
4 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth (whichever you prefer)
½ Cup  Pumpkin Purée (or 1 Cup Fresh Pumpkin, diced, roasted)
½ Cup Parmesan
1 tsp Aged Balsamic
½ tsp Fresh Sage, chopped

Preparation
• Sauté onion in olive oil for 4 minutes, until browned and translucent.
• Add garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add rice and let the rice toast for 1-2 minutes, until slightly brown. Add wine to deglaze pan.
• Once the rice has absorbed the wine, start adding the vegetable broth, ½ cup at a time, while stirring continuously. Keep adding slowly until all broth is added; the whole process will take about 20-25 minutes.
• After all the broth has been absorbed, the rice will look plump. At this point, turn down the heat, add pumpkin, parmesan, balsamic and sage.
• Split into 2 bowls and serve with an additional sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
• Note: To roast pumpkin, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut whole pumpkin in half and cut each half into several pieces. Discard seeds or reserve for another use. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Pumpkin Spring Rolls

Ingredients
1 Can Pumpkin Purée (15 ounces)
2 each Eggs
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Cardamom
1 Cup Marshmallows
5 teaspoons Ginger or Almond Cookie, grated 
1/4 Cup Honey
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Sugar
5 Cups  Canola Oil
1 Package Spring Roll Wrappers (16 ounces)

Preparation
• Mix pumpkin, eggs, spices, marshmallow, cookie, honey and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Taste, add sugar until sweet.
• Chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat pot with canola oil to 375.
• Place 1-2 Tablespoons of pumpkin filling on the center of each spring roll wrapper, fold in outside edges and roll up. (If your wrappers are very large, you may want to cut them in half first.)
• Drop the spring rolls into the hot oil until lightly browned and crispy, about 3 minutes.
• Dust rolls with powdered sugar and cinnamon if desired.