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1
Preheat oven to 350F.
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2
Cut and remove the top and bottom of the pumpkin (jack-o-lantern sized discs) core out pulp and seeds, discard insides.
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3
Bake pumpkin for 2 hours at 350F with 2 quarts water in the roasting pan to keep it moist.
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4
Cover with aluminum foil.
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5
Peel potatos.
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6
Cut potatos and pancetta into 1cm cubes and proceed to cook them into a hash in a skillet on a medium low flame, stirring and tossing frequently until all grease is extracted from the meat.
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7
Strain, save the grease and set the hash aside.
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8
Mince garlic and onion, chop celery thin, width-wise, and grate carrots in a cheese grater.
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9
Coat a hot non-stick pan over a medium high flame with a bit of the grease from the hash and add garlic and onion.
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10
Add carrot and celery once the onions become transparent, cook until softend.
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11
Peel and mash pumpkin and add all ingredients except cream to a large pot, add baking water and additional water (if needed) to submerge all ingredients, cover and cook over a medium flame for an hour, stirring occasionally.
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12
If ingredients haven't softened into a partially homogenous mixture, use a hand mixer to blend to the desired consistincy.
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13
If you intend to freeze or conserve the soup in any way, do it now.
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14
Otherwise add cream, serves 12.
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15
Garnish with scallions or fresh parsley.
