I think winter squashes are glorious. They come in beautiful sleek packages and when you cut them open they are a glorious golden orange – alive and shining! And we have so many varieties now: butternut, acorn, spaghetti, delicata, Hubbard, pumpkin – both jack-o-lantern and pie – and some intriguing ones I don’t know the names of. Lots of pumpkins are sold in October to make into Jack-o-Lanterns, but they are delicious on the table as well.
In Italy they grow winter squash and the relatively new pumpkin as big as possible and then sell them at the market by the slice, allowing you to buy just how much you think you need. This certainly eliminates waste and encourages use. But I’ve noticed that here in the US they cultivate smaller sizes – people don’t want to purchase more than they’ll eat.
My all-time favorite squash is the Hubbard because there’s so much meat and it’s so versatile: you can make delicious soups and stuffed pastas, but it’s also great just roasted and pureed.
My new favorite this year is delicata! Elongated and striped, it’s a beautiful little squash, just right for one or two people. I cut them in half long-wise and roast them in the oven cut side down with a little water and olive oil in the bottom of the pan. When they’re soft, scoop the meat out and dress it with sea salt, butter or olive oil, and a good grating of nutmeg. What more could you want on a chilly fall evening!
A really luscious stuffed pasta is the traditional Tortelli di Zucca of northern Italy. Made with roasted and pureed squash, nutmeg, salt and parmigiano, it’s perfect in a simple butter sage sauce. Once you’ve pureed the pumpkin just be sure to wrap it in a cloth and squeeze all the water out; otherwise your stuffing is too wet and will destroy its pasta wrapping.
Enjoy the bounty of the fall season and Buon Appetito!
Ravioli di Zucca Gialla con Burro Salvia (winter squash ravioli w/ sage butter)
2 cups butternut or acorn squash
3/4 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated
1 egg
½ teas ground nutmeg
½ teas sea salt
pepper
bread crumbs, finely ground
Bake the squash in a 350° oven until soft. Let cool, scoop it out and mash it with a fork in a bowl until smooth. Place the pulp in a cheesecloth or linen towel, twist the ends together and squeeze as much water out as possible. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well;add bread crumbs if the mixture is still wet. It’s important that the filling not be wet or the ravioli will be more difficult to handle. Cook the ravioli for 2 minutes in boiling water that has been well salted.
Burro Salvia
1 stick unsalted butter
10 sage leaves
½ teas sea salt
Melt the butter in a sauté pan while the ravioli are cooking, add the sage leaves and salt. When the ravioli are cooked, scoop them out and place them in the sauté pan, stirring gently to coat. Serve with a generous garnish of grated Parmigiano cheese and be sure to eat the sage leaves.
