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ITALIAN RECIPES

As Temperatures Fall Off Zucca Begin To Appear

Squash Venetian Style

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds (1 k) yellow squash (use butternut squash)
1/4 cup olive oil
Flour
5 tablespoons vinegar
1 clove garlic cut in half
6 basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying

Preparation:

Peel and seed the squash, wash it, dry it, and slice it into 1/2 by 2-inch (1 by 4 cm) rectangles. Flour the pieces and shake them to remove the excess.
Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet and fry the pieces, turning them to brown all sides, and drain them on absorbent paper.

Put a pot (make sure it's not aluminum) on the fire and heat the vinegar, garlic and raisins (if you're using them) with a pinch each of salt and pepper; boil the mixture for about 5 minutes. In the meantime wash and dry the basil leaves.

Take a casserole and put down a layer of squash, followed by a few shreds of basil leaves, and another layer of squash. Continue until all is used up, pour the vinegar mixture over the dish, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.
Serves 4.

Sicula's Ravioli With Squash

Ingredients:

The filling:
3 1/2 pounds (1.6 k) pumpkin or butternut squash
1/2 pound (225 g) of freshly ground Parmigiano
Freshly graded nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Wash pumpkin and pop-off stem. Slice off top and clean out seeds and stringy membranes. Replace top and bake pumpkin in a shallow pan at 375 F. for about 1 1/2 hours, until tender.
Remove the pumpkin from oven and let it cool to a manageable handling temperature. Peel the skin and place the cut-up pumpkin flesh in a food processor along with the Parmigiano and seasoning, and puree until creamy.

If the mixture is too dry add a scant amount of heavy cream. In the absence of a food processor, hand mashing the mixture will work.
Prepare egg pasta dough as you would for ravioli. Place a little of the pumpkin mixture in the center of each ravioli then seal in the usual way. Spread the ravioli on a lightly flour dusted cloth to dry for a while.

When ready to serve, boil ravioli in plenty of salted water until tender, or about 5 minutes. Drain and toss with melted butter and more Parmigiano.
For a real treat, after boiling and draining the ravioli, set them aside for a while on parchment paper, separating each and every packet so they do not stick together. Rest them for a while.

Now heat enough butter in a pan to the foaming stage and slide in the ravioli. Sauté them until they start browning nicely. Remove to warm serving dish and toss with Parmigiano and toasted bread crumbs and chopped parsley.
Serves 4-6.

Yellow Squash Minestrone

Ingredients:

2 ounces (50 g) seasoned lard, minced (get this from your delicatessen, or use prosciutto fat)
1/2 a small onion, thinly sliced
A handful of dried borlotti beans, soaked for several hours (if you have freshly shelled beans use them;
Kidney beans will work as a substitute) and then simmered until soft in the 3 quarts of water mentioned below
2 1/4 pounds (1 k) yellow or butternut squash, peeled seeded and diced
3 quarts (3 l) of water
4 handfuls of rice (Arborio or Vialone Nano will be best, though any will work so long as it's not parboiled)

Preparation:

Begin a by cooking your beans until soft in the 3 quarts of water; how long this takes will depend upon your beans. While they're cooking peel and chop the squash, chop the onion, and grind the lard into a paste.
When the beans are just about done heat the lard in a pot with the onion. When the onion becomes translucent add the diced squash and continue to cook, squashing the pieces with the back of a fork.

Stir in the beans and the simmering bean broth, stir in the rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is done. The soup should be fairly thick, like a minestrone.
Though purists might frown, I'd serve the soup with some freshly grated Parmigiano for those who want it, and a dry white wine.
Serves 8.

Versilian Squash Gnocchi

Ingredients:

See Below

Preparation:

You will want a squash with firm flesh. Peel it, remove and discard the seeds and strings in the middle, and cut it into walnut-sized pieces.
Weigh them, and put them in a pot with a cup of water for every 3 pounds (1.5 k) of squash, together with a teaspoon of salt. Simmer over a gentle flame, stirring the squash around every now and again, until the pieces have fallen apart. At this point blend the mixture and let it cool.

When it has, lightly beat 4 eggs and add them to the mixture, together with sufficient flour to obtain a fairly firm dough, which won't slide off a spoon.
Toss the mixture by the spoonful into salted boiling water, skimming the gnocchi from the pot as they rise to the surface with a slotted spoon. Serve them with melted unsalted butter and grated Parmigiano, or, if you'd rather, a rich meat sauce. Most people find they prefer the Parmigiano and butter, however.

Pureed Squash Recipe

Ingredients:

A sizeable chunk of yellow squash (use a whole butternut squash instead if need be)
Olive oil
Onion
An ounce of candied citron, minced

Preparation:

Bake the piece of squash in a 380 F (190 C) oven (if you're using butternut squash cut it in half and discard the seeds first). Once it is soft peel it, discarding the peel, cut it into pieces, and put them through a food mill.
Finely mince the onion, sauté them until golden in a little olive oil, then add the pureed squash and the candied citron, and season everything with salt.
Simmer, stirring frequently lest the squash stick and burn, until the mixture has thickened and become dark.

Buon appetito!

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