By mid-November pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice lattes are all the rage in America.  In Italy however, we eat pumpkin for dinner.  These aren’t your typical Halloween sugar pumpkins though.  They are more closely related to the Japanese kabocha pumpkin and butternut squash.  In the true spirit of cucina pover, zucca, as prepared in the Italian kitchen is the wholesome star of a low key vegetarian meal.  Below are our favorite pumpkin preparations.  

Grilled Pumpkin

This is an easy way to prepare and preserve pumpkin. If you have a mandolin, get it out.  You will need to slice pumpkin 1/4 inch thick before grilling over a grill pan.  Heat grill pan over medium heat and brush or spray with canola oil.  Grill pumpkin in batches- I like to make sure they get nice grill marks. Then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon salt, red pepper flakes and parsley.  If you make a big batch, pack firmly into plastic containers and cover with olive oil. This will keep in fridge for a month- as long as pumpkin is always covered with oil. Place on top of grilled bread and serve as a fall bruschetta. 

Pumpkin & Borlotti Beans 

Pumpkin and beans is a very Southern Italian dish. Soak a ½ pound dried borlotti beans in ample water (cover by at least 1 inch) overnight.  Drain in colander and place beans and several quarts of water in a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Season with a few peppercorns, a bay leaf and a dried red chili pepper.  Simmer the beans for two hours.  Add salt once the beans are fork tender (adding salt too early causes the beans to crack).  Now add cubed pumpkin and simmer for an additional hour.  The pumpkin will not retain its cube shape but breaks down into the beans.  This is a kind of poor man’s vegetarian chili.  Very satisfying on a rainy autumn night.   

Pumpkin Lasagna 

A perfect main dish for a vegetarian Sunday supper. Roast cubes of pumpkin and then pass through a food mill to create a pumpkin puree. Season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg and fresh sage to taste.  While roasting pumpkin, make three cups of classic béchamel sauce.  Pre-heat your oven to 350 and lightly butter a deep casserole dish. Using store bought or home made fresh lasagna sheets, make your lasagna.  Start layering with béchamel, pasta, pumpkin and repeat until you reach the top of your casserole, ending with a final layer of pumpkin puree.  Top with grated parmesan and bake for forty-five minutes.  Then raise temperature to 400 and cook for ten additional minutes until the lasagna is golden brown.  Remove the lasagna from oven and let rest for AT LEAST 30 minutes. Lasagna, like a piece of roasted meat, needs time to rest before you cut it.  Otherwise it becomes a messy lump on your plate and all of the flavors ooze out! 

Pumpkin Risotto 

Add this recipe to your arsenal.  It is an easy, inexpensive crowd pleaser.  Follow our master recipe for risotto here, substituting the mushrooms with pumpkin.  You can serve as a primo (first course) at an elegant fall dinner party or enjoy as a main meal on a week night.  You can bake leftovers in a casserole dish the following night for a satisfying dinner. 

Pumpkin Parmesan 

We all know eggplant parmesan, but across the small towns of Italy’s South you can find pumpkin parmesan in the fall.  You must grill the pumpkin (as above) to create a successful parmesan that does not break apart.  Do not attempt to bread and fry the pumpkin it does not hold its shape well this way.  Lightly butter a casserole dish.  Now layer grilled pumpkin, smoked fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with fresh thyme.  Once you reach your top layer, sprinkle with thyme, bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese.  Serve as a side dish with a roasted pork tenderloin or as a main course with a butter pomegranate lettuce salad.