If “vegetables” could be superstars, pumpkin would rock at this time of year. Its popularity starts rising around Halloween when it’s carved into Jack O’ Lanterns, and hits another high over American Thanksgiving, when it’s transformed into pumpkin pie. It’s so versatile, but pumpkin tends to fall flat in the period between through no fault of its own. It’s commonly plated mashed, and made into countless soups. Yawn.....

Lifestyle challenged Ryan Solien, chef de cuisine at Victoria Grill, and Michele Celentano, head chef at Little Venice, to come up with a more exciting pumpkin dish that would be easy to make at home.

Chef Michele Celentano’s pumpkin gnocchi

Ingredients:

300g flour

1kg potatoes

300g diced pumpkin

50g salt and pepper

1 egg

Method:

Boil the peeled potatoes till soft and ready to be smashed. Create a fountain with the smashed potatoes, add the previously diced pumpkin. Cook or steam until soft (about 40 minutes). Add the egg, salt and white pepper to the centre of the fountain.

Gently kneed all the ingredients until it becomes a clean, soft mass of dough. Cut a portion (about 100g) each of potatoes and pumpkin dough. Roll till it becomes like a long snake. Chop and keep aside for ten minutes and then place in pre-boiled water in saucepan.

Quick boil for seven to eight minutes. Once they are floating, scoop them up and roll in the sauce of your choice. Chef Michele served his with a white wine wild hare ragout.

Chef Ryan Solien’s black bean and pumpkin chilli

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped

2 tbs olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups chicken broth

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 1/2 minced chorizo

1lb fresh diced pumpkin

1 can (14 1/2oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 tsp chilli powder

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ tsp salt

Method:

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, yellow pepper and chorizo in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook one minute longer. Transfer to a five-quart slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for four to five hours or until heated through. Yield: Ten servings.