Pumpkin Purée: A Taste Of Orange, And My First Autumn Abroad Recipe by Bianca Mwale
 Bianca Mwale @bianca_eatsy Zomba, Malawi I grew up in Malawi, where the seasons are either sunny, cold, or rainy. I never knew the quiet beauty of autumn - the crisp air and golden leaves. That all changed during my first autumn in Italy. The days were still kissed by the sun, but the evenings brought a gentle chill that made me crave cozy meals and earthy flavors. This pumpkin purée is inspired by that experience and by the vibrant second color of the rainbow: orange. It was in Malawi where I first baked pumpkin cake, and it was in Italy where I first used pumpkin in pasta. To me, orange now means warmth, change, and nourishment. This simple, silky purée celebrates that color in all its richness, turning fresh pumpkin into a golden base for soups, stews, pies, pasta, cakes, or even a simple spread. It’s a blend of home and discovery; a Malawian heart wrapped in the comfort of an Italian autumn. #EatTheRainbow I grew up in Malawi, where the seasons are either sunny, cold, or rainy. I never knew the quiet beauty of autumn - the crisp air and golden leaves. That all changed during my first autumn in Italy. The days were still kissed by the sun, but the evenings brought a gentle chill that made me crave cozy meals and earthy flavors. This pumpkin purée is inspired by that experience and by the vibrant second color of the rainbow: orange. It was in Malawi where I first baked pumpkin cake, and it was in Italy where I first used pumpkin in pasta. To me, orange now means warmth, change, and nourishment. This simple, silky purée celebrates that color in all its richness, turning fresh pumpkin into a golden base for soups, stews, pies, pasta, cakes, or even a simple spread. It’s a blend of home and discovery; a Malawian heart wrapped in the comfort of an Italian autumn. #EatTheRainbow Pumpkin Purée: A Taste of Orange, and My First Autumn Abroad Share its first Cooksnap! I grew up in Malawi, where the seasons are either sunny, cold, or rainy. I never knew the quiet beauty of autumn - the crisp air and golden leaves. That all changed during my first autumn in Italy. The days were still kissed by the sun, but the evenings brought a gentle chill that made me crave cozy meals and earthy flavors. This pumpkin purée is inspired by that experience and by the vibrant second color of the rainbow: orange. It was in Malawi where I first baked pumpkin cake, and it was in Italy where I first used pumpkin in pasta. To me, orange now means warmth, change, and nourishment. This simple, silky purée celebrates that color in all its richness, turning fresh pumpkin into a golden base for soups, stews, pies, pasta, cakes, or even a simple spread. It’s a blend of home and discovery; a Malawian heart wrapped in the comfort of an Italian autumn. #EatTheRainbow I grew up in Malawi, where the seasons are either sunny, cold, or rainy. I never knew the quiet beauty of autumn - the crisp air and golden leaves. That all changed during my first autumn in Italy. The days were still kissed by the sun, but the evenings brought a gentle chill that made me crave cozy meals and earthy flavors. This pumpkin purée is inspired by that experience and by the vibrant second color of the rainbow: orange. It was in Malawi where I first baked pumpkin cake, and it was in Italy where I first used pumpkin in pasta. To me, orange now means warmth, change, and nourishment. This simple, silky purée celebrates that color in all its richness, turning fresh pumpkin into a golden base for soups, stews, pies, pasta, cakes, or even a simple spread. It’s a blend of home and discovery; a Malawian heart wrapped in the comfort of an Italian autumn. #EatTheRainbow Ingredients 1 hr Yields 800g pumpkin purée 1 large pumpkin 1 large pumpkin Cooking Instructions 1 hr 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Slice the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet 2 Roast for 40 to 60 minutes or until the flesh is soft and cooked through. Let cool for about 1 hour 3 Scoop out the flesh from the skin and into a bowl 4 Using an immersion blender, purée until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed 5 Chill or freeze until ready to use. I used some of mine to bake a delicious pumpkin cake and saved some for later 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Slice the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Slice the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet 2 Roast for 40 to 60 minutes or until the flesh is soft and cooked through. Let cool for about 1 hour 2 Roast for 40 to 60 minutes or until the flesh is soft and cooked through. Let cool for about 1 hour 3 Scoop out the flesh from the skin and into a bowl 3 Scoop out the flesh from the skin and into a bowl 4 Using an immersion blender, purée until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed 4 Using an immersion blender, purée until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed 5 Chill or freeze until ready to use. I used some of mine to bake a delicious pumpkin cake and saved some for later 5 Chill or freeze until ready to use. I used some of mine to bake a delicious pumpkin cake and saved some for later Linked Recipes Share its first Cooksnap! Cooksnaps Did you make this recipe? Share a picture of your creation! Copied! on June 01, 2025 12:44 Zomba, Malawi Sharing homestyle recipes is just as good as sharing meals with family and friends. And the joy of someone trying out my recipe is truly impeccable! Comments Similar Recipes Roasted pumpkin soup Roasted pumpkin soup Pumpkin is one of the vegetables actually grown in Trinidad and Tobago and so when I wanted to make a dish that focuses on a product sourced from a local farm, pumpkin soup was the first idea to come. I love its creamy texture, versatility and that it's very easy to make a version that looks and tastes like a professional chef made it. I saw a version of this (butternut squash) made by Antoni on an episode of QE and was so intrigued I decided to replicate it. Kalifa Sarah Clyne Pumpkin pie Pumpkin pie The love of pumpkin pie is strong in my house. Once the first hit. We got got a whole bunch of cans. Dear A plate full of Steak A plate full of Steak This is a massive thin cut of steak it usually covers a whole plate. I had to cut these in half. The first time I ever ate one that covered the whole plate, was when I traveled to Tegucigalpa, Honduras and it just covered the whole entire plate it was so delicious. 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I love its creamy texture, versatility and that it's very easy to make a version that looks and tastes like a professional chef made it. I saw a version of this (butternut squash) made by Antoni on an episode of QE and was so intrigued I decided to replicate it. Kalifa Sarah Clyne Pumpkin pie Pumpkin pie The love of pumpkin pie is strong in my house. Once the first hit. We got got a whole bunch of cans. Dear Pumpkin pie Pumpkin pie The love of pumpkin pie is strong in my house. Once the first hit. We got got a whole bunch of cans. Dear A plate full of Steak A plate full of Steak This is a massive thin cut of steak it usually covers a whole plate. I had to cut these in half. The first time I ever ate one that covered the whole plate, was when I traveled to Tegucigalpa, Honduras and it just covered the whole entire plate it was so delicious. This is just a simple version that kinda reminds me of that dish. 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The pumpkin flavor is subtle but it makes the cake very moist as well! fenway Chocolate Pumpkin Layer Cake Chocolate Pumpkin Layer Cake This cake is decorated for fall, or Halloween or Thanksgiving with its orange frosting. The frosting is a buttercream cream cheese frosting flavored with Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. I colored it orange but it can be colored any color or left white for any occasion. The pumpkin flavor is subtle but it makes the cake very moist as well! fenway Taste of Italy Amatriciana Taste of Italy Amatriciana I just couldn't forget the amazing flavour of the amatriciana that I ate in Italy. I got my husband, who loves these kinds of tomato pasta dishes, to do the tasting for me until I got the recipe right. If you stir-fry the pancetta beforehand, this will tease the oil out of the meat. This small step drastically changes the taste of the dish so please give it a try. 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