If you've spotted a flying saucer-shaped pumpkin for sale at the market, put it in your bag and get ready to cook it. White squash (also called "pattypan" borrowing the English name or patissone courgette from the French name "patisson") looks more like a small pumpkin, but is actually a mildly flavored courgette. Try roasting the two halves in the oven after sprinkling them with olive oil and aromatic herbs or, if you prefer, prepare it stuffed and serve it whole in all its elegance. When in a hurry you can cook it in a pan or on the griddle to give it a smoky aftertaste.
Ingrediants
White Pumpkin Roasted in the Oven
- 700 g of white pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon (15 m) of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- A teaspoon tip of dried oregano
- A tip of a teaspoon of dried thyme
- A teaspoon tip of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Yield: 4 servings
White Pumpkin Stuffed with Cheese
- 135 g of breadcrumbs
- 185 g of cottage cheese
- 60 g of mozzarella, diced
- 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon of mixed aromatic herbs
- 2 whole eggs
- Half a teaspoon of garlic powder
- 6 small white pumpkins
Yield: 6 servings
Grilled White Pumpkin
- 60 g butter, soft
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- Sea salt
- black pepper
- 700 g of white pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon (15 m) of extra virgin olive oil
Yield: 4-6 servings
Stir-fried White Pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon (15 m) of extra virgin olive oil
- 15 g of butter
- Half a golden onion, thinly sliced
- 4 white pumpkins
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 10 g of chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice
- Grated Parmesan to taste
- Salt and pepper
Yield: 4 servings
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Oven Roasted White Pumpkin
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C and grease the pan
Take a pan or a rectangular baking dish (about 25x40 cm) and grease the bottom and sides with olive oil.
For convenience you can use spray oil
Step 2. Trim the pumpkins at the ends and cut them in half
Wash the small pumpkins under cold running water and then place them on the cutting board. Take a small knife and remove the stem and base from each pumpkin, then cut it in half.
If the diameter of the pumpkins exceeds 10 cm, cut them in quarters rather than in half
Step 3. Prepare the herb and spice blend
Pour a tablespoon of oil (15 ml) into a bowl, add half a teaspoon of salt and 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic. Stir and then incorporate the following herbs and spices:
- A teaspoon tip of dried oregano;
- A tip of a teaspoon of dried thyme;
- A teaspoon of black pepper.
Suggestion:
if you prefer, you can use fresh herbs. Use the whole twigs and remove them from the pan before serving the pumpkins.
Step 4. Place the pumpkins in the pan and sprinkle them with the oil and herbs
Arrange the small white pumpkins in the baking dish or baking dish you greased earlier. Spoon the oil over the pumpkins, then flip them over and toss on the other side.
Step 5. Place the pan in the oven and cook the pumpkins for 10-15 minutes
Place the pan in the hot oven and let the pumpkins cook until soft. When the time runs out, stick them with a fork to see if they are cooked. If you can get the fork out easily, they are ready.
If you feel they are still not soft enough, let them cook for another 3-5 minutes, then check again
Step 6. Sprinkle the squash with chopped parsley (optional)
Sprinkle a tablespoon of fresh parsley over the pumpkins to add a refreshing note to the dish. Like zucchini, white pumpkins also go well with white meats and fish and in particular with roast chicken or salmon. They are also excellent paired with a grilled steak.
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. Eat the leftover squash within a couple of days or it will get soggy
Method 2 of 4: White Pumpkin Stuffed with Cheese
Step 1. Turn on the oven to 200 ° C and let it heat up
Meanwhile, trim the 6 white pumpkins. Place them on the cutting board and remove about half an inch from the base with a small knife.
Trimming the base of the pumpkins will make them more stable and make it easier for you to fill them
Step 2. Cut the top of the pumpkin
Trim the top of the pumpkins as well to remove the pulp. After washing them and trimming the base, trim the upper part by removing about one and a half centimeters of peel and pulp. At this point, empty the pumpkins using a melon digger or spoon. Transfer the pulp to a bowl and arrange the empty pumpkins in the pan.
If the pumpkins have seeds, remove them from the pulp and throw them away
Step 3. Prepare the filling
In the bowl with the pulp, add the breadcrumbs, cheeses, spices, eggs and garlic powder. Pour 135 g of breadcrumbs in the center of the bowl, then add 185 g of ricotta, 55 g of diced mozzarella, 25 g of grated Parmesan cheese (save the other 25 g for later), a tablespoon of mixed herbs, 2 whole eggs and half a teaspoon of garlic powder. Stir to break up the pumpkin pulp and mix the ingredients.
Variant:
For a version of the pumpkin stuffed with meat instead of cheese, cut two slices of bacon into cubes, sauté them in a pan until crisp and add them to the rest of the filling ingredients along with 120 g of browned ground beef.
Step 4. Transfer the filling to the pumpkins
Take a spoon and pour the filling into the center of the empty white pumpkins. Continue adding the filling until it comes out from the top and then sprinkle the pumpkins with the remaining 25 g of grated Parmesan cheese.
If you have an ice cream scoop available, you can use it to fill pumpkins more easily
Step 5. Cook the stuffed pumpkins for 30-35 minutes
Place the pan in the hot oven and let the pumpkins cook until the filling turns a nice golden color. To find out if they are cooked, pierce one with a fork; you should be able to get them out easily, otherwise let them cook for another 5 minutes, then check again.
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for a couple of days in an airtight container
Method 3 of 4: Grilled White Pumpkin
Step 1. Turn on the barbecue
If you use a gas barbecue, light the burners and adjust the flame to a medium-high level so that the temperature reaches 200-230 ° C. If you are using a traditional barbecue, fill the ignition chimney and light the charcoal. When the embers are hot and covered with a thin layer of ash, distribute them on the bottom of the barbecue.
Did you know that?
Using the charcoal barbecue will give the pumpkins a smoky taste, especially if you add some wood chips.
Step 2. Make a herb butter to spread on the pumpkins (optional)
If you want to make the white pumpkins even tastier, take a bowl and mix 60 g of butter that you have softened at room temperature with a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley, a clove of crushed or chopped garlic, a pinch of sea salt and a tip of a teaspoon of black pepper. Stir and then set the flavored butter aside.
If you don't want to use herbal butter, just skip this step
Step 3. Trim the pumpkins and cut them in halves or quarters
After washing them with cold running water, place them on the cutting board and remove the stalk with a small knife. Trim the base as well to make the pumpkins stable, then cut them in half. If the diameter of the pumpkins exceeds 10 cm, it is better to cut them into quarters.
Step 4. Season the pumpkins with oil, salt and pepper
Transfer the chopped pumpkins to a large bowl and sprinkle them with a tablespoon (15 ml) of extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of sea salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper. Use a large spoon or your hands to mix and distribute the seasonings evenly.
Greasing the pumpkins with olive oil helps prevent them from sticking to the barbecue grill
Step 5. Grill the pumpkins for 8-10 minutes
Arrange them on the grill at least a couple of centimeters apart. Put the lid on the barbecue and let the pumpkins cook until soft. Halfway through cooking, turn them with the tongs.
When cooked, on both sides of the pumpkins there will be black lines typical of cooking on the barbecue
Step 6. Remove the pumpkins from the grill and sprinkle them with the herb butter (optional)
Transfer them to a serving dish using the barbecue tongs to avoid burning yourself. If you made the herb butter, spread it over the pumpkins with a spoon and then mix them to season them evenly. The butter will melt and make them even more delicious. This is a great side dish for burgers or grilled sausages, for example.
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container, refrigerate, and eat within a couple of days
Method 4 of 4: Stir-fried White Pumpkin
Step 1. Pour the olive oil into the pan, add the butter and let it melt over medium-high heat
Put a large pan on the stove, pour in a tablespoon (15 ml) of extra virgin olive oil, add 15 g of butter and wait for the butter to melt and produce a light foam.
After a couple of minutes, the oil and butter should be hot
Step 2. Add half a thinly sliced onion and fry it for 3-4 minutes
Use a golden onion and slice it as finely as possible. Cook it in a pan until it becomes soft and transparent.
- If you don't want to use onion or leek, just skip this step.
- In general, it is best to use a sweet onion. In addition to the golden ones, red onions also have a sweet and delicate taste, because they are rich in sugar.
Suggestion:
if you prefer a milder flavor, you can use leek instead of onion.
Step 3. Cut the white pumpkins into pieces a couple of centimeters thick
Take a small knife and trim the gourds at the ends after washing them with cold water. Then, cut them into pieces that are a couple of centimeters thick.
Step 4. Place the pumpkin pieces in the pan along with 3 crushed garlic cloves
Place the garlic cloves on the cutting board and mash them with the flat side of the blade of a large knife. Press the palm of your non-dominant hand on the opposite side of the blade to break the peel of the garlic cloves and squeeze them lightly. Remove the peel and put the garlic cloves in the pan.
Crush one clove of garlic at a time
Step 5. Stir and sauté the pumpkin pieces for 5-6 minutes
Stir them frequently to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let them cook for 5-6 minutes, then check that they have softened by piercing them with a fork.
Be careful not to cook the white squash for too long, or it will become soggy
Step 6. Season the pumpkin with parsley, basil, grated Parmesan and lemon juice
Turn off the heat and pour into the pan 10 g of chopped fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice and a tablespoon of chopped fresh basil, finally add a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese. At this point, taste the pumpkin and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
