Roasted Pumpkin Soup

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use a serrated knife to carefully cut the ends/stems off of each pumpkin. Cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into half again.
2. Place the pumpkin quarters onto a baking sheet and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Toss well to coat, season with salt, and arrange the quarters cut-side down. Roast for 30 minutes. Flip each quarter over and roast for 30 more minutes. Allow the pumpkin to cool (just enough so you’re able to hand it). Use your hands to peel off the skins, and roughly chop the pumpkin into smaller pieces.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven (or heavy-bottomed pot) over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion, shallot, sprigs of thyme, and sage. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden.
4. Add the pumpkin and vegetable stock. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the cream and a pinch of salt to taste. Simmer another minute or two to heat the cream. Remove the herb sprigs.
5. Working in batches ladle the hot soup into a blender. Blend for 90 seconds until smooth. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Pour the soup into bowls.
6. Drizzle a generous spoonful of pesto (recipe below) over each bowl of soup. Garnish with the roasted hazelnuts and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.

Hazelnut Sage Pesto

1. Add the arugula, sage, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, balsamic, roasted hazelnuts, and pecorino romano cheese to a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the extra-virgin olive oil until incorporated. Season with salt to taste.