It's all about pumpkins, this time of year; carving them, decorating with them, and of course, eating them! This weekend I utilized pumpkin in TWO very different ways - both very tasty! First up is a recipe for what I had for supper tonight: pumpkin penne. I found this recipe in Parents magazine about a year ago, and it was the first time I made it. What a great way to get a big dose of vitamin-filled vegetables! I was going to serve some to my 2 1/2-year-old daughter who loves pumpkin, but she conked out on my bed while I was making the pasta. I "halved" the recipe for a nice big serving for myself, but I'm posting the original recipe from Parents magazine.

Pumpkin Penne

one 12-ounce package penne
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup evaporated milk
one 15-ounce can pumpkin
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (which I omitted)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
fresh parsley, chopped (I used dried)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and return to pot, covering to keep warm.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat oil on medium.  Add shallots; cook and stir until tender, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in broth, evaporated milk, pumpkin, spice, salt and pepper.   Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Toss pasta with sauce.  Spoon into bowls and top with parsley and cheese.

A few days ago, I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for my daughter's play date. This recipe is from Gooseberry Patch's Homemade Christmas cookbook. The cookies are very moist and very pumpkin-ey. The batter is very gooey, but the dough puffs up while baking. I made my cookies a bit big (by accident) but they turned out fine.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil or applesauce (I used applesauce)
1 egg, beaten
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil or applesauce and egg.  In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir well.  Dissolve baking soda in milk; add to dough and mix well.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.