NO CARVING NECESSARY
These dishes make great use of fresh pumpkins.
Each October, my son and I search for the biggest, most misshapen, gnarled and deformed pumpkin we can find. This beauty-pageant reject will make the most perfect jack-o'-lantern with menacing brows and uneven teeth.

But in November we look for the smaller, perfectly rounded and unblemished pie pumpkins. These are the vegetables made for stewing and pureeing and making into delicious pies and fillings. There are dozens of pumpkin varieties - from the 2-pound New England Sugar to the 100-pound Atlantic Giant.

For cooking, bigger is not better. Pick a nice, small, heavy pumpkin with a bright-orange color. Peel and seed the squash, cut it into cubes and gently cook it with a little butter and cream until it becomes soft enough to mash. Or, cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and bake it at 350 degrees until the flesh is soft enough to scrape away from the skin. As a last resort, open a can of plain pumpkin to use in your recipe. Canned pumpkin is one of the few products that comes packaged in a pure and unadulterated form. Try pumpkin ravioli as an enticing first course this Thanksgiving and then give your dessert tray a little twist with this variation on a holiday classic.

Ingredients:
Filling
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk

Ravioli Dough
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs and 1 egg white
2 to 4 tablespoons water (if needed)
10 sage leaves
1 stick butter

Instructions:
Combine filling ingredients; keep refrigerated until needed. Put flour, salt and eggs into bowl of food processor. Turn on processor and drizzle in water slowly just until dough forms. Remove from machine and knead dough into ball. Cover with plastic wrap; allow to rest at least 1 hour. Cut dough into 4 pieces. Roll each ball into 4-by-12-inch sheet. Place tablespoons of filling at 1-inch intervals about 1/4 inch from edge of long side. Moisten dough around each mound of filling with a little water. Fold dough to cover filling; push out excess air. Cut between each mound with ravioli cutter. Crimp edges with a fork; set aside on floured tray. Drop into boiling, salted water. When water comes back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 4 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Fry sage leaves while ravioli boil. Drain ravioli and toss gently with sage butter. Serve with additional grated cheese.

Makes 48 ravioli.

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FOR DESSERT . . .

Pumpkin Pie with Cranberry-Pecan Streusel Topping

Ingredients:
Filling
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Streusel
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Beat eggs in large bowl. Mix in sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt and evaporated milk. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. As pie bakes, combine streusel ingredients into bowl of food processor; pulse until crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle streusel on top of pie. Return to oven for another 10 minutes or until custard is set and streusel is lightly browned.