With the start of fall and Halloween only a few weeks away, the pumpkin phenomenon is in full swing. We all know, and especially in my case, love pumpkin pie, but what about when we want to try something different? Below are my top five choices of pumpkin recipes that I have tried or want to try this fall season.

As a quick note, if you have never baked or cooked pumpkin before, you are going to want the smaller pumpkins such as pie, sugar, cheese, Cinderella, etc. Look for a pumpkin that is fairly light, under 10 pounds, that doesn't have any bruises or soft spots. While you can use the larger carving pumpkins, I would not recommend it as their taste is bland and their meat is tough. It would be better to go with butternut squash, if you are unable to get the other choices. I personally prefer to chunk my pumpkin into large pieces and roast before pureeing, but you can also steam the pumpkin, if desired.

Pumpkin and Ricotta Pasta Casserole

I am Italian so, naturally, I absolutely love cheese. While five years ago I would have turned my nose up at a dish like this, I am really interested in trying a recipe that is less dessert and more a meal. Comments suggested adding spicy Italian sausage (not in the casing) and I think I am going to go with that suggestion.

Pumpkin Fluff Dip

I have seen this recipe everywhere on my news feed and Instagram stream. It's super easy and has rave reviews. It's also significantly lighter on the calories than I expected plus it's quick enough to whip up for any festive parties you have coming up.

Pumpkin Curry with Chickpeas

I love curry and I love pumpkin and it wasn't until I started searching around for some new recipes to satisfy my pumpkin craving that I stumbled upon this one. It does have some ingredients that you may not normally keep on hand (such as cardamom pods and lemongrass stalks), but served up with some couscous, you've got a great meal.

Pumpkin Pizza

I'm sorry, but shut the front door. I have always said if I had to eat any one food for the rest of my life, it would be pizza. Reason being you can customize pizza to fit your mood going from savory to sweet by simply changing the crust, the toppings, and/or the sauce. So, of course, I have to have a pizza recipe on my list. I'm thinking this will be the perfect addition to our football Sunday tradition of pizzas.

Chipotle Pumpkin Veggie Burgers

Please excuse me while I drool all over my keyboard. I mean, just look at that burger. While the original recipe is vegetarian, the recipe creator suggests adding some strips of bacon for you carnivorous meat lovers (something I am most definitely going to do). This recipe does call for some interesting ingredients and different techniques, but you can definitely substitute where needed.

As you can tell, I lean more towards savory dishes, but there are a slew of wonderful recipes out there. If you have a recipe you would like to share, please post it below in the comments section. I'm always looking to experiment and try out new foods.