If you haven't already, you're about to hollow out a pumpkin, carve some pointy teeth into it and light it from within--possibly with sound effects. (Any anti-Halloween people can just stop reading right now. Come on! It's fun!) But don't throw away those orange innards in the process. Or do, rather, but save the seeds--you can eat them!
Separate as much of the goop as possible, then soak the seeds in a big bowl of water, running your fingers through them to shake off the rest of said goop. Wait for the bits and pieces to rise to the top, then skim them off and drain the seeds. Then you have to de-hull the seeds. This is not fun.
Some people (baseball players!) eat pumpkin seeds whole, but you want the pepita out of the shell when you're cooking with it. It's quite a labor-intensive process, but if you're committed to using up that pumpkin, it's a necessary one. (We recommend a glass of wine at your side.) Simmer the seeds in water for about 15 minutes, then drain them and let them cool a bit. You can then crack the seed in half so that you can easily hold onto the skin and peel it away. Another trick, if you want to keep your seeds whole, is to squeeze from the rounded end of the husk to push the seed out of it. Either way, like we said: wine. Once they're out of the shells, let them sit overnight to dry.
THEN you can:
Pan-Seared Salmon with Pumpkin Seed-Cilantro Pesto
Roasted Squash with Mint and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Fennel and Celery Salad with Pumpkin Seeds
Cedar-Planked Shrimp With Chipotle-Pumpkin Seed Salsa
Grilled Halibut with Coriander-Pepita Butter
Pumpkin-Seed-Crusted Tofu with Lemongrass Broth, Rice Noodles, and Poached Eggs