Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut and remove the top and bottom of the pumpkin (jack-o-lantern sized discs) core out pulp and seeds, discard insides. Bake pumpkin for 2 hours at 350°F with 2 quarts water in the roasting pan to keep it moist. Cover with aluminum foil.

Peel potatos. Cut potatos and pancetta into 1cm cubes and proceed to cook them into a hash in a skillet on a medium low flame, stirring and tossing frequently until all grease is extracted from the meat. Strain, save the grease and set the hash aside.

Mince garlic and onion, chop celery thin, width-wise, and grate carrots in a cheese grater. Coat a hot non-stick pan over a medium high flame with a bit of the grease from the hash and add garlic and onion. Add carrot and celery once the onions become transparent, cook until softend.

Peel and mash pumpkin and add all ingredients except cream to a large pot, add baking water and additional water (if needed) to submerge all ingredients, cover and cook over a medium flame for an hour, stirring occasionally. If ingredients haven't softened into a partially homogenous mixture, use a hand mixer to blend to the desired consistincy.

If you intend to freeze or conserve the soup in any way, do it now. Otherwise add cream, serves 12. Garnish with scallions or fresh parsley.