I visited the charming town of my ancestry, Castel Morrone, Italy in September 2023. During my visit, I immersed myself in the food culture and cooked with my cousins. Every recipe that I learned to make during my stay used ingredients native from the land around them. Zucca “pumpkin” is one of those ingredients, grown around the region and plentiful in September. Watch me make homemade Cavatelli with my cousin and finish with a zucca sauce to complete the dish.
Cavatelli con la Zucca
Makes 1 pound Cavatelli. Serves 4.
Cavatelli Recipe:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm tap water
1.Mix flour and salt on a flat board. Make a well.
2.Add water in ¼ cup intervals to the well and blend with a fork until absorbed. Blending the last interval with your hands to fully incorporate.
3.Knead until a smooth dough forms.
4.Cut dough round into 4 sections. Cut ½ inch slices from each section.
5.Cut each slice in half. Roll into ½ inch thick rope.
6.Cut ¼ inch square chunks from the rope. Shape each square chunk by pushing down gently and rolling with your index finger toward you to form a little pillow shape.
7.Set shapes aside on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8.Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil on high heat on the stove top.
9.Add the Cavatelli to the large pan of boiling salted water. Cook until they float to the top. Drain once done.
La Zucca Recipe:
¼ cup olive oil
2 fresh garlic cloves, peeled
4 anchovy fillets in oil, chopped
½ small fresh sugar pumpkin, cored, de-seeded, peeled, chunked (2 ½ cups)
a pinch of salt
¾ cup tap water
2 tbsp dry white wine
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1.In a medium saucepan, heat oil on medium-low heat on the stove top.
2.Add the garlic to the oil and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Remove from the oil.
3.Add the anchovy and sauté until the anchovy breaks apart and starts to become a paste with the oil.
4.Add the pumpkin and salt and stir to coat with the anchovy paste.
5.Cover to cook for 10 minutes or until the pumpkin is browned and softened, stirring occasionally.
6.Add the water, wine, parsley, chili flakes, and parmesan and stir to combine with the pumpkin.
7.Cook uncovered for another 10 minutes or until pumpkin starts to become a purée and most of the liquid is absorbed.
To serve, mix the cavatelli with the zucca sauce. Serve immediately topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if desired.
Chef Francesca Minutillo
Chef Christina Minutillo