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For several years now, we’ve been adopting a strange Thanksgiving tradition: “ruining” traditional Italian desserts by PUMPKIN-IFYING them!
I love pumpkin everything, from pumpkin pie to Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Several years ago I begged Eva to make pumpkin cannoli, and the result was… not great. Every year since we’ve tried a different recipe (unsuccessfully so far), and this year will be no different.
In this video, Eva’s going to try pumpkin spicing up a few classic Italian desserts and HOPEFULLY not ruin them this time. Maybe we’ll stumble upon a delicious discovery along the way…
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Check out the traditional recipes for these desserts here:
PANNA COTTA – https://www.pastagrammar.com/post/panna-cotta-authentic-italian-recipe
ZUPPA INGLESE – https://www.pastagrammar.com/post/zuppa-inglese-recipe-how-to-make-the-italian-english-soup-dessert
STRUDEL – https://www.pastagrammar.com/post/italian-apple-strudel-recipe-strudel-di-mele
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And because we think it came out great, here’s how to make Eva’s alternative squash strudel filling:
Ingredients
– ½ cup (80 g) raisins, or to taste
– 6 dates, chopped
– Fireball whiskey
– 3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter
– 20 ounces (565 g) butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small pieces
– 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, stem removed
– Pumpkin Pie Spice, to taste
– 4 ½ tablespoons (60 g) brown sugar, or to taste
– ⅓ cup (50 g) chopped pecan nuts
– A pinch of grated lemon zest, to taste
Soak the raisins and chopped dates in a bowl with Fireball whiskey to cover. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped squash, rosemary, and a sprinkle of Pumpkin Pie Spice. Sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the sugar and about 1 ounce (30 ml) of Fireball. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain the raisins and dates and squeeze the excess liquid out. Stir these and the pecan nuts into the squash. Continue to simmer until the excess liquid has thickened.
Turn off the heat and stir in the grated lemon zest. Proceed to follow the normal strudel recipe (see above).
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#pumpkin #pumpkinspice #thanksgiving
44 Comments
Have any ideas for a pumpkin-ified Italian dessert I can horrify Eva with? Let us know and maybe we'll make it for our Thanksgiving!
I am Irish, so I didn’t grow up eating much in the way of pumpkin. However, since moving to North America over the last 17 years, the best pumpkin dessert I’ve ever had time and time again is a pumpkin pie toasted meringue on top.. so far still my absolute favourite pumpkin dessert.
If your relatives never tried the pumpkin desserts, how can they say you ruined them?
I’d honestly recommend using pumpkin seed butter (I always toast mine before I grind the seeds into butter) in place of a more traditional nutty flavor where Italians might use hazelnuts or pistacchi. Don’t discount the pumpkin seed!!!!
Casatina
Harper, dear fella, botanically and culinarily squash vs pumpkin is not even a thing. A butternut squash like Eva used is useful in every application you’d think of for pumpkin. They really aren’t as different from each other as you’d think. That’s honestly a result of American thinking.
I’d be excited to see a pumpkin or zucca gnocchi. Idk if it would work because of the starch needed to form the dough, but I bet if anybody could make it work and make it delicious, it’s Eva!!!!
Pumpkin in a curry is awesome
As Ukrainian, I totally get Eva – we also call a pumpkin and a squash the same word
I had pumpkin ravioli…it was actually pumpkin won tons…lol…and it was soooo yummy.
You need to try the pumpkin RX Bars…seasonal only of course! Found at Whole Foods btw!
No…but yes! 😂
Pumpkin panna cotta sounds sort of like Pumpkin Cheescake!❤
Eva, You need to try pumpkin bread with chocolate chips! Super yummy!
Eva is right… Harper, technically speaking pumpkins are squash! Not the other way around… so really Eva is right 🙂 and often can be substituted without those outside the kitchen knowing the difference :).
Pumpkin definitely goes with chocolate… pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are amazing… 🙂
Ok, so NOW the question that needs answering is just how many people y'all have over for Thanksgiving dinner? From that stack of paper plates and dessert table it looks like about 50 or more. That's crazy.
I heard that because of ancient trading routes some savory recipes from Venice have "pumpkin spice" spices in them. Cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, etc. Might be cool
Pumpkin pie is not made with orange Jack O'Lantern pumpkins, it's made with something called Dickinson pumpkin…. Which looks an awful lot like a squash
Hey, you guys are back in town!
They have often cubed up pumpkin pieces in many groceries' frozen aisles to stay within a type of pumpkin. Although pumpkins are squash from the winter variety as well. Like so many winter ones like butternut and long gourd, when Eva chose a butternut, it is also a relative squash. In fact, Libby and several other pumpkin brands state it is their own, but that isn't true. They are mixing several squash families to meet the demand as the original Dickinson type is now in smaller production than initially used. As for a decent change, I would like to see another attempt on cannoli, but instead of the pumpkin mixed with the ricotta filling, perhaps starting the pumpkin pie filling process and then, when it's done from baking, etc., take that custard out of the pie and mix it into the ricotta to be a stronger pumpkin mixture than what was originally put together. And I'm sure people will enjoy it as it is more sweeter than normal with all the tastes of the cream. Either way, I think it's all delicious except that soup cake lol that one might need a few changes, like less alcohol and more layered pumpkin slices. Happy Turkey Day Pasta Grammar.
🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻
I'm dying laughing right now…best episode ever.
Pumpkin polenta…
Guys, I have a tip for you. When I make a pumpkin pie, I use COCONUT MILK.
I promise you. IT WORKS.
There is a Halloween Tiramisu that uses ginger snaps and pumpkin that is really good. Far from traditional tiramisu, but pretty yummy. (From yokesfreshmarket recipes)
I lived near Brescia for about half a year while I taught English in Italy, and my host mother made homemade pumpkin gniocchi. They were DELICIOUS. That woman could cook!
Pumpkin without baking spices doesn't actually taste like what we think of as a holiday pumpkin dessert. This is where you're going wrong.
hahaha harper GMO boy
I made a Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu.
It is rather good.
Are you serious? Pumpkin and chocolate is the best combination there is. I like to just take slices of pumpkin, put chocolate on top, wrap in foil and put in the oven. So simple, so delicious
pumpkin and squash is the same species. the difference between them is like the difference between granny smith apple and pink lady apple. they are same but taste a little different
Tasting History with Max Miller had a recent episode exploring the story of pumpkin origins. His research backs up Ava's view and explains that what Americans call squash and pumpkins split from the same general term fairly recently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aOXL5geLic
Pumpkin and hazelnuts go very well together – If the Zuppa Anglaise used Frangelico instead of Fireball – would have been a better match. Also – as you discovered – cream is better than milk with pumpkin.
Hyper quit picking on Ava. What’s wrong with you? Better have a butternut squash in my pumpkin soup but my family loves. I sneak in butternut squash to let her have it don’t be a bully. You’re the one that gets taste all the wonderful things that she makes.🎉
Buona Festa di Ringraziamente! I’m thankful for You! ❤
Happy Thanksgiving guys!! Thank you for you 🙂 requesting a video on cannelloni
As a indian i am already confused by sweet pumpkin 😅 i normally see it in savory food
You guys lost me at fireball for the last 2 desserts 😂😂
How could he pumpkin cannoli go wrong? Use ricotta filling with a small amount of pureed pumpkin and pumpkin spice. Season outside with toasted crushed pumpkin seeds instead of pistachio.
For the ingleses, maybe instead of fireball or Alchermes, use a boozy eggnog.
I was just looking up how to make pumpkin grain pie 😀 Im the same, every year I want to make pumpkin everything, I love pumpkin hahaha ha 😀
I made pumpkin ricotta cookies last week 😁 last year i made pumpkin biscotti and pumpkin ricotta cheese cake
The pumpkin panna cotta looks great, for everything else… repent. Just repent.
I made a very nice pumpkin spice tiramisu.
To make it you make the basic tiramisu recipe but you add a small amount of pumpkin pie filling to the creamed egg filling.
Instead of regular coffee soaking the cookies, use pumpkin spice coffee.
Then sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and nutmeg.
For the pie filling:
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp clove
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
½ tbl butter
1 ½ can evap milk
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup molasses
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin
Pumpkin, squash – it all sounds "gourd" to me 😅
Harper's hair is getting pumpkin highlights. Can't wait until he pulls it back into a man bun!
I hate pumpkin and pumpkin spice anything and I’m not sorry about it😂😂😂 My Italian Gram never touched the stuff either 🤷🏼♀️
Isn't most pumpkin puree from the can made from butter squash?
Challenge accepted! I’ve been making pumpkin custard for years as a breakfast dish before “pumpkin spice” everything became a meme. I make an over-egged baked custard loaded with pumpkin as a breakfast treat before my kids had exams in school. It was easy and I could pump protein, vegetables dairy and carbs into them before they took their tests. They both did well in school on raw talent. Though could have done much better with more attention to detail. I will review your Zuppa inglese recipe and see if I can transform it into a delicious Zucca… desert. I have a box of good lady fingers that I need to use in the freezer. My thanksgiving pumpkin pie had a shot of bourbon.
I am going on the record that pumpkins and butternut squash, kobocha, acorn, etc. are all part of the cucurbita species and much of the cucurbita in the pumpkin can is often butternut squash. Use the locally grown winter squash variety. I got several blue skinned sweet pumpkins from my farmers’ market this year and baked and puréed them, then froze the purée and measure it out by weight to defrost for recipes. The pumpkin pie from blue pumpkin, milk, cream, eggs and sugar was the best ever. Unfortunately, the apple pie got a swap in bakers mid stride from me to my rapidly aging mother. She didn’t add any other sugar in the pie so it was unbearably tart. Apple pie is my father’s favorite, so I think the big Christmas dessert will be apple strudel!