Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Carefully halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.

Slice each pumpkin halve in half to make quarters. Brush or rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over the flesh of the pumpkin and place the quarters, cut sides down, onto the baking sheet.

Roast for 35 minutes or longer, until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.

Once the oil is shimmering, add onion, garlic and salt to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

In the meantime, peel the pumpkin skin off the pumpkins and discard the skin.

Add the pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper (if using), and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Use your stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit.

Pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, toast the pepitas in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, golden and making little popping noises.

Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup.

Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly. Use an immersion blender or a stand blender to blend the soup until smooth.

Transfer the puréed soup to a serving bowl and repeat with the remaining batches.

Taste and adjust if necessary.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle pepitas over the soup and serve.

Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days.