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1
Preheat oven to 350 and move rack to lowest setting.
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2
Rinse off the pumpkin to remove any excess dirt.
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3
Hold the pumpkin at an angle to your kitchen counter and whack it against the counter at the base of the stem to remove - it will go flying and makes a fun game for kids.
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4
Place the pumpkin and water in a pan with high sides and roast for 2 hours.
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5
Halfway through the cooking time poke a couple of holes in the pumpkin with a sharp knife to let steam escape.
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6
When time is up remove from the oven and let cook for about 30 minutes.
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7
Cut in half, remove the seeds and stringy membranes to a bowl, and place cut sides down in a strainer to let excess water out, about 10 minutes.
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8
This is important because it results in a much thicker puree that produces a better texture and is more easily substituted in recipes that call for canned pumpkin.
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9
Scoop meat out of pumpkin and into a food processor.
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10
Cover and let run several minutes or until the puree is very smooth.
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11
Use within a couple of days or freeze for later use.
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12
I will usually do 4 pumpkins at a time in my large turkey roasting pans (2 per pan) and do not have to adjust the time at all.
