Pumpkin Bolognese Stuffed Pumpkins

Rustic autumn comfort food · Serves 6 to 8

The first cold evening of the season, and the pumpkin comes inside.

All October they sit on porches and tailgates and at the end of the field table. Then one night the temperature drops, the boots come off by the door, and it is time to put them to work. This is the dish we make when that night arrives: small pie pumpkins roasted whole, filled with a slow Bolognese of beef, pork and pancetta, folded through rigatoni and baked under a lid of Parmigiano until golden.

It takes an afternoon, most of it with the ragù ticking over on the stove while the light goes. That is the point. Make the sauce the day before and it is even better, and the rest comes together in about an hour once everyone is back from the field. Each guest gets a pumpkin of their own, lid on, and the table goes quiet for a while.

Ingredients

For the pumpkins

• 6 to 8 small pie pumpkins, one per person
• Olive oil, butter, salt and pepper
• A pinch of nutmeg

For the Bolognese

• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ lb ground pork
• 4 oz pancetta, diced
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper

To finish

• 1 lb rigatoni or fresh tagliatelle
• 1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Fresh sage (optional)

Method

1. Prepare the pumpkins. Heat the oven to 375°F. Cut off the tops and keep them as lids. Scoop out the seeds and fibers. Rub the insides with olive oil, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Roast for 35 to 50 minutes, until just tender but still firm. Roast the lids alongside for the last 15 minutes.
2. Make the ragù. Cook the pancetta in the olive oil and butter. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and pork and brown well. Stir in the tomato paste and pumpkin puree, then the white wine, and reduce almost completely. Add the cream and simmer until mostly absorbed. Stir in the tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. Simmer gently for 2 to 2½ hours, until thick and rich.
3. Prepare the filling. Cook the rigatoni until 2 minutes short of al dente (fresh tagliatelle needs only about 1 minute). Drain and toss with the Bolognese and 1 cup of the Parmigiano, adding a splash of pasta water if needed.
4. Stuff and bake. Fill the pumpkins generously. Top with the remaining Parmigiano and bake uncovered at 375°F for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden and piping hot.
5. Serve. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Set the lids on top and garnish with fresh or lightly fried sage, if you like.

A few notes from our kitchen

• Make ahead. The ragù keeps in the fridge for a day or two and tastes better for it. On the day, you only need to roast, fill and bake.
• Choosing pumpkins. Look for small pie or sugar pumpkins that sit flat and feel heavy for their size. Large carving pumpkins are watery and stringy and won't hold their shape in the oven.
• Keep them standing. If a pumpkin wobbles, trim a thin slice from the base before roasting so it sits steady on the tray and the plate.
• Fried sage. Warm a little olive oil in a small pan and fry whole sage leaves for a few seconds until crisp. Drain on paper and salt lightly.

The pumpkins only stay on the porch for a few more weeks. Bring one in while you can.

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