• Preheat oven to 350℉. Pierce the pumpkin deeply with a fork 4-5 times around the exterior. Spray a sheet pan and the exterior of the pumpkin with non-stick cooking spray.

  Place the pumpkin onto the sheet pan and place the entire thing into the preheated oven. Roast for 1 hour or until extremely tender.

To Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree:

• Slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds (you should find this to be much easier than when doing the same with a raw pumpkin). Peel away the skin from the pumpkin meat.
• Add the pumpkin meat to a food processor and whirl until smooth, about 30 seconds. If your puree seems watery here, strain it through a fine mesh sieve (I've only encountered watery pumpkin when making puree out of much larger pumpkins; the puree pictured has not been strained). Use your puree in place of canned puree in your favorite recipe.

  Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.