Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 10 1/2 hr

　　Look for sugar pumpkins and cheese pumpkins — we find they make the tastiest purée for pies, tarts, and cakes.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 3 1/4 cups

　　2 lb fresh pumpkin, cut into roughly 4- by 5-inch wedges

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

　　

Special Equipment

cheesecloth

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

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.

　　

Step 3

Discard any liquid that may have accumulated and scoop out pumpkin flesh, then purée 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 purée, chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap, 8 hours or overnight.

　　Cooks' note:

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