Ingredients
One 3-pound (1.4 kg) sugar pumpkin or kabocha squash
3 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
A handful of basil leaves, torn into pieces
Leaves from 2 sprigs parsley, coarsely chopped
Scant 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crunchy bread for serving
Instructions
Cut the pumpkin or squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds and fibers. Cut into thick slices and peel each slice with a vegetable peeler. Chop the slices into cubes.
Transfer the pumpkin pieces to a deep nonstick skillet, add 2 cups (480 ml) water, and set over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste, cover, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is falling apart and can be mashed with a fork. Add a little additional water if necessary to finish the cooking.
Mash the pumpkin to a coarse but creamy spread and serve hot or at room temperature.
Excerpted from Cooking alla Giudia by Benedetta Jasmine Guetta (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2022. Photographs by Ray Kachatorian.
Keywords: pumpkin, italian recipe, dip, spread