Yellow pumpkin
Yellow pumpkin cooks into soft flesh for soups, purées and filled pasta. In Ferrara, it forms the center of a savory filling with cheese and nutmeg.
- Ferrara filling
- Cooked yellow pumpkin, grated cheese and nutmeg give the filling of cappellacci di zucca ferraresi its sweet, savory contrast.
- Preparation
- Roast pumpkin for a mashable pasta filling; steam wedges with their skin on when preparing purées.
- Ferrara forms
- The local Violina is elongated; Marina is rounded and flattened at the ends.
Roast or steam
Cut the pumpkin into wedges and scoop out the seeds. For a filling, roast the wedges until tender, then remove the flesh and mash it. For a purée, steam the wedges with the skin on; once cooked, the flesh is easier to separate.
Filled pasta from Ferrara
The Ferrara filling combines cooked yellow pumpkin with grated cheese and nutmeg. Serve the cappellacci with melted butter, sage and a little Parmigiano Reggiano.
Choose and weigh for the recipe
If a recipe names a variety, look for that name when buying. Allow for the rind and seeds when buying a whole pumpkin; weigh the prepared flesh only when your recipe asks for it.
