17 pumpkin recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

The holiday season is not complete without pumpkin pie! And while you can find all kinds of variations that take the basic pie in different directions, there is still no beating the classic pie. Click here for the recipe.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Just like pie, and maybe even better! Pumpkin puree flavors the base of this ice cream, which is lightly spiced and sweetened with brown sugar. Crunchy pecan pralines add a nice nuttiness. Click here for the recipe.  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Instead of saving it for dessert, serve pumpkin as a first course in this salad, flavored with walnuts, leeks and bitter greens. Click here for the recipe.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Pumpkin tarte tatin, with goat cheese, onions and thyme, has displaced quiche in many European restaurants as a vegetarian course. Puff pastry can substitute for the pie crust. Click here for the recipe.  (Bryan Chan / Los Angeles Times)

Luscious and rich like a cheesecake, but with spiced pumpkin flavor. It’s like combining two of your favorite desserts into one! Click here for the recipe.  (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)

Pumpkin shows up on the Thanksgiving table in so many guises. But have you ever thought about using the seeds? Combine toasted pumpkinseeds, or pepitas, fragrant Spanish chorizo, chiles and corn bread, and there’s no question why this was voted one of our best recipes of 2008. Click here for the recipe.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

It’s pumpkin for dessert, but with a twist, in this recipe from Sherry Yard. Click here for the recipe.  (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)

Crisp on the outside yet tender on the inside, these dinner rolls are flavored with a touch of pumpkin and fragrant thyme. Click here for the recipe.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Chocolate and pumpkin are unexpectedly delightful in this fragrant cake. The sour cream in the chocolate frosting adds a nice, subtle tang. Click here for the recipe.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Rich and hearty Andalusian stew (berza Andaluza) is flavored with chunks of pumpkin, Swiss chard, pancetta, morcilla sausage and chickpeas. Click here for the recipe.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Bruleed sugar on top of pumpkin pie gives it a nice crunch. Serve this pie topped with chantilly cream and candied lemon peel. Click here for the recipe.  (Iris Schneider / Los Angeles Times)

Creamy pumpkin risotto is flavored with fresh rosemary and toasted walnuts. Click here for the recipe.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Shrimp tacos get a flavor boost from spicy pumpkin seed sauce. Click here for the recipe.  (Eric Boyd / Los Angeles Times)

Pumpkin pie gets a little added flavor in this take on the pie, sweetened with maple syrup. Click here for the recipe.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Baked pumpkin jam with cinnamon and ginger, served with couscous. Click here for the recipe.  (Eilon Paz / Los Angeles Times)

Creamy spiced pumpkin custard is baked on top of a nutty cashew tart crust. Click here for the recipe.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)