This and many other wonderful recipes may be found
Saveur Cooks Authentic American
by the editors of Saveur from Chronicle Books

Almost everybody seems to make pumpkin pie out of a can these days, and canned pumpkin pie can be just fine. But pie made with the meat of a fresh pumpkin (not a stringy jack-o'-lantern, but a tasty eating variety like the sugar baby) attains a silky, custardy perfection.

1. For pastry, sift flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add up to 5 tbsp. ice water as needed, 1 tbsp. at a time, mixing until dough holds together. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. For filling, cut pumpkin into large pieces, discarding seeds and pith. Fit a large pot with a steaming rack, add enough water to come just up to (but not over) the rack, and bring to a boil over high heat. Place pumpkin on rack, cover, and steam until pulp is soft, about 30 minutes. Cool, then scrape pulp from skin into a food processor and purée. Add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, milk, eggs, and salt and pulse until mixture is very smooth.

3. Preheat oven to 425°. Roll out dough into a 12" round on a floured surface, then ease into a 9" pie pan. Trim edges, allowing a 1/2" overhang, then fold edge under and crimp or flute. Fill with pumpkin filling and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and continue baking until filling is set, 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

VARIATION: Canned-Pumpkin Pie-Substitute 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin for steamed pumpkin pulp in step 2, above, and follow recipe, increasing cinnamon to 1 1/2 tsp., ginger to 1/2 tsp., and cloves to 1/4 tsp.