For all those recipes that don’t require the full can. Once it’s open, you’ve got to find a new container, and then it sits in your fridge until you forget what it was. Remedy yourself from that with these easy and quick recipes that only require that bit of pumpkin you’ve got left over. Or better yet, make 1 can of pumpkin get you through a few weeknight dinners! 

1. Creamy Pumpkin Fettuccini

2. Chipotle Pumpkin Soup with Crème Fraîche

3. Pumpkin Risotto with Chicken and Basil

Creamy Pumpkin Fettuccini
I love fall, I love pumpkin, and I love carbs. Gluten Free? There’s an awesome brand called Cappello’s that has an almond based pasta found in the freezer aisle that if off the charts good. Or, go the classic Italian route with the flour stuff. Both will delectable with this creamy sauce. 

For 1-2 servings of sauce: 
3 Tbsp Butter (optional)1/2 Lemon
1/4 Cup Pumpkin Purée
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream (or Coconut Cream for Dairy Free option)
1/4 Cup Milk of choice 
1 Tsp of Sugar (may need to add more to taste depending on how much pumpkin puree you have)
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp All Spice
1 tsp Cloves
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Cayenne (more if you like a good kick!)
1/4 – 1/2 # Pasta
Pumpkin Seeds to garnish (optional)
Parmesan Cheese to garnish (optional)

1. Get a large pot filled 2/3 way with water to boil for pasta. 

2. If using butter: Place butter in sauce pot on medium heat. When it starts to bubble, watch it as it starts to brown. Once it does, squeeze half a lemon in. 

3. Add all other sauce ingredients to the browned butter mixture and stir with a whisk to incorporate. Let simmer for at least 10 minutes so flavors can meld. Taste and add salt and other spices to your preference. 

4. While sauce is simmering, boil pasta. Note: If you like your sauce thicker, let sauce cook down slightly before boiling pasta. 

Chipotle Pumpkin Soup with Crème Fraîche

Easier than pie! If you have some packaged bone broth or vegetable stock in your cupboard or fridge, mix it in with the pumpkin purée and add in some seasonings. Don’t have crème fraîche? Easily substitute with sour cream or Greek yogurt. Add protein as desired, great with sliced chicken or butter sautéed shrimp. 

1–2 Servings:
1/2 White Onion, sliced or diced
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Salt
2 Tbsp Chipotle
1 tsp Cayenne (if desired)
1/2 cup Pumpkin Pure
3/4 Cup — 1 1/2 Cup Stock (I use homemade chicken stock but veggie stock is great too!) Use as much as desired to get preferred consistency. I like my soup on the thicker side so I use less stock. 
Topping of Choice

1. Heat a sauce pot with enough olive oil to cover the bottom and turn on medium heat. Add onions, garlic, salt, chipotle, and cayenne. 

2. Sauté until onions are soft and very aromatic. Add in pumpkin purée and chicken stock. 

3. Simmer for ten minutes. 

4. For a completely smooth soup, remove from heat and purée in Vitamix or blender until smooth. Return to pot and gently simmer for fifteen more minutes or until soup reaches desired thickness. Stir often. 

5. Spoon into bowl(s) and top with crème fraîche or other toppings of choice. 

Pumpkin Risotto with Chicken and Basil

I absolutely love risotto on a cool fall day, especially one as festive as this! For extra pumpkin, I’ve added in some roasted diced chunks. 

For 2 Portions:
2 Chicken Breasts, cooked
1 Cup Pumpkin, cut into bite-size cubes
1 Whole Onion, small dice/minced
2 Cups Risotto
1/2 Cup White Wine
7 Cups+ Stock (veggie/chicken)
3/4 Cup –1 Cup Pumpkin Purée
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Bunch of fresh Basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375º F.

2. While oven is pre-heating, grill chicken breasts. Slice and set aside. Oven should be ready for pumpkin. Toss pumpkin dices in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until soft and lightly browned and caramelized (about 25 minutes). 

3. Once the pumpkin is in the oven, start to make the risotto. Rinse risotto well to remove excess starch. Place risotto into a large container and fill with water. Strain water and repeat two more times. The water should be clear the third time. Strain water out to get risotto as dry as possible. 

4. In a medium sauce pot, add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom and turn on medium heat. 

5. Put the 7 cups of chicken stock in a different sauce pot and turn on low heat. 

6. Add the onion to the pot with oil and sweat until translucent. To the same pot, add in the risotto and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. This “toasts” the risotto (also called parching). 

7. Add in the white wine. Stir and wait until the wine is absorbed. 

8. Turn heat to medium low. Add in 1.5 to 2 cups of the stock at a time, waiting until it’s been completely absorbed by the risotto before adding more. 

9. Just before adding the last 2 cups of stock, add in the roasted pumpkin (which should have come out of the oven)pumpkin purée, and parmesan cheese. Add the last 2 cups of stock to risotto. Place sliced chicken in remaining 1 cup of hot chicken stock to warm. 

10. Once all liquid has been absorbed and your risotto has an “Al’onda” (wave-like, moist but not clumpy) character, spoon into bowls and garnish with warmed sliced chicken, basil and more parmesan as desired.