Journal · Trending · By Nadia
5 All-New Recipes for Pumpkin Week
Bon Appétit just launched Pumpkin Week with five brand-new recipes — here's how to cook pumpkin properly at home, avoid the soggy pitfalls, and ride the trend all week.
By NadiaMediterranean & Pasta · 2026-10-05 · 3 min read
✓ From the Cuisinety kitchenWhy Pumpkin Is Everywhere Right Now
Pumpkin Week just kicked off, and it's the strongest editorial signal of the season: Bon Appétit dropped five all-new pumpkin recipes in one push, and food outlets fire this engine every single October. When a major publisher commits a full themed week to one ingredient, searches, saves, and dinner-table experiments follow within days.
The timing is no accident. Sugar pumpkins and butternut are at peak harvest right now, prices dip through mid-October, and the sweet-spiced flavor profile is exactly what people crave as evenings get darker. If you've been eyeing that whole pumpkin at the market, this is the week to buy it.
Cook Pumpkin Like a Pro
First rule: skip the giant carving pumpkin. It's watery and stringy. Get a small sugar pumpkin or butternut (2–3 lbs), halve it, scoop the seeds, rub the cut faces with oil and salt, and roast cut-side down at 400°F (200°C) for 35–45 minutes until a knife slides through with zero resistance. Cut-side down means the flesh steams in its own moisture and caramelizes against the pan — that's where the flavor comes from.
The most common mistakes: under-roasting (pumpkin purée should taste sweet, not squeaky), skipping the seed-toasting step (tossed with oil, smoked paprika, and salt at 375°F for 12 minutes, they're the best part), and drowning everything in sugar. Savory pumpkin — roasted wedges with harissa and honey, or puréed into a spiced soup — is usually the more impressive move.
Make It Part of Your Week
Roast two pumpkins on Sunday and you're set: fold the purée into pancake batter or pasta sauce for the next three days, cube some for a chickpea-and-pumpkin curry, and scatter wedges over a grain bowl with feta and toasted seeds. Pumpkin is a workhorse, not just a pie filling.
Short on time? Simmer cubes directly into a stew or soup — they hold their shape for 15 minutes, then melt into the broth. That single technique turns lentil soup, couscous, and even a simple risotto into seasonal gold without touching a can.
Cook along
These recipes pair with this article — make them tonight: