Pumpkin Seed Pesto From the Jack-o'-Lantern You Carved

Chef's Overview

Dear Chefs, pumpkin seed pesto is what happens when the guts of a jack-o'-lantern get a second life as the best thing on the dinner table. Toasted pumpkin seeds stand in for pricey pine nuts, bringing a nutty crunch and a deep green color that makes the whole sauce look as good as it tastes. We blitz them with basil, garlic, Parmesan, lemon, and olive oil into a pesto that tastes bright and rich at the same time, then toss it with rigatoni and a splash of pasta water. A single batch makes enough sauce for dinner tonight and a few lunches later in the week, which is the real reason we keep pumpkins on the porch. Everything in this recipe starts with seeds you were about to throw away.

The Best Part of the Pumpkin Was in the Trash All Along

Every October we scoop out a mountain of slimy pumpkin guts, and for years we did what most people do, which was dump the whole mess in the compost and move on. Then one of us noticed a bowl of seeds sitting on the counter after a roasting experiment and wondered aloud whether they could stand in for pine nuts in a pesto. Fifteen minutes later we were standing around a food processor with spoons in hand, and the compost bin never saw another seed. The idea works because pumpkin seeds are naturally rich in oil and carry a toasty, almost sweet flavor that pairs beautifully with basil and Parmesan. They are also kinder to your grocery budget than pine nuts, and they bring a pleasant, rustic texture to the sauce. If your pumpkin season has already turned toward risotto, our Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage uses the flesh and makes a natural partner for a pumpkin-seed night.

Ingredients You'll Need

The ingredient list is short, but a few choices make a real difference. Raw seeds scooped from a carving pumpkin are bigger and a little tougher than the packaged pepitas at the store, so toasting is not optional, since it is what unlocks their flavor. Use the freshest basil you can find, grate your own Parmesan, and reach for a fruity extra virgin olive oil, because with so few ingredients each one has to pull its weight.

For the Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds from a carved pumpkin, rinsed and cleaned
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Pesto

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Pasta

• 1 pound rigatoni
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• Extra toasted pumpkin seeds and shaved Parmesan, for topping

Step 1: Rinse and Dry the Pumpkin Seeds

Drop the seeds into a bowl of cold water and swish them with your fingers, which loosens the stringy pulp and lets it float away. Lift the clean seeds out by hand, discarding the strings that cling, and spread them in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel. Let them air-dry for at least 30 minutes, patting them occasionally, because wet seeds steam instead of toast.

Step 2: Toast the Seeds Until Golden

Heat the oven to 325°F and toss the dry seeds with the olive oil and salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the seeds smell nutty, look golden, and start to crackle and pop. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the pan, then set aside a handful of whole seeds for garnish before the rest head to the food processor.

Step 3: Prep the Basil, Garlic, and Lemon

Pick the basil leaves from the stems and pat them dry, then give the garlic a rough chop so the processor does not have to fight whole cloves. We reach for the Noir 60 Damascus Chef Knife for this, since its VG-10 Damascus steel, 60 HRC hardness, and triple-riveted G-10 handle handle a pile of herbs and garlic with ease. Juice the lemon and halve it for any extra wedges using the Sable 59 Damascus Petty Knife, a compact AUS-10 Damascus blade with an octagonal blackwood handle that handles small jobs like this with minimal fuss.

Step 4: Blitz the Pesto

Combine the cooled seeds, garlic, and Parmesan in the food processor and pulse about 10 times until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add the basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then pulse again until everything breaks down into a rough paste. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the pesto looks glossy and holds together, scraping down the sides once or twice. If you like a looser sauce, add another tablespoon of oil, and taste for salt and acid before you finish.

Step 5: Boil the Rigatoni and Save the Water

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil and cook the rigatoni for 10 to 12 minutes, until it is al dente with a slight bite at the center. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the starchy cooking water and set it aside. That cloudy water is the secret to a pesto that coats the pasta instead of clumping, so do not skip it.

Step 6: Toss the Pasta With the Pesto

Return the drained pasta to the warm pot off the heat and add about three quarters of the pesto. Pour in 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then toss vigorously for 1 minute so the sauce emulsifies and clings to every ridge. Add more pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce is silky, and keep it warm and loose, because pesto tightens as it cools. This pasta should look a little messy and generous, and that is exactly how it should be.

Step 7: Garnish and Serve

Divide the pasta among warm bowls, then top with the reserved whole toasted seeds, a pile of shaved Parmesan, and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately, while the pesto is bright green and the pasta is steaming. A dish like this sits well next to a bowl of olives and a glass of something crisp, much like the spirit behind our Squid Ink Pasta With Chili Garlic Shrimp, which is another pasta night built around a handful of strong flavors.

One Pumpkin, Two Dinners, Zero Waste

A carved pumpkin gives you far more than a face on the porch, and this pesto is the proof. The seeds you used to throw out become the backbone of a sauce that rivals anything with pine nuts, and the whole process takes less than an hour from rinse to bowl. It is a small act of kitchen thrift that makes the season feel a bit richer. Any pesto you do not use will keep for five days in the refrigerator under a thin layer of olive oil, and it freezes beautifully in an ice cube tray for months. Stir a cube into soup, spread it on a sandwich, or whisk it into mayonnaise for a quick dip. Next October you will find yourself saving the seeds before you even pick up the carving knife.