Coincidentally, I just made a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin this weekend, and it turned out to be absolutely delicious. I would recommend cutting the pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds (save them to toss in some olive oil and spices [I tried lemon pepper] and then roast for about 30 minutes to make a yummy snack) and then cutting each half in two. Put the pieces on a cookie sheet with a bit of cooking spray so they don’t stick and roast at 425 for about 45 minutes to an hour.
I think that roasting preserves much more of the flavor than simmering in water, steaming, or cooking in the microwave…it takes a bit longer but I think its worth the wait!
Once you can stick a fork easily through the pumpkin’s flesh, it should be done. Take out of the oven, let cool a bit, and then scrape off the flesh from the skin. Put the pieces in the blender and puree until smooth. Then, throw into a regular pumpkin pie recipe like this one that I used!
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/suzannes_old_fashioned_pumpkin_pie/
(tried and true as its the same as the recipe in Joy of Cooking)
Enjoy!