Zucca in Italian autumn cooking: history, varieties and regional traditions

Zucca, a royal vegetable in the Italian tradition

*Zucca* — squash or pumpkin depending on the variety — entered Italian cooking well before the New World made it widely available in Europe. Local cucurbits already appeared on Roman tables in Antiquity. But it was from the 16th century, with the arrival of American varieties, that squash became a cornerstone of cooking in Northern and Central Italy.

Today, it's inseparable from the Italian autumn. The *sagre della zucca* — village festivals dedicated to squash — take place every year in October and November in dozens of towns, from Veneto to Emilia-Romagna. The best known is in Castel Goffredo, in Lombardy, which has been celebrating the bond between this vegetable and local food traditions for decades.

The essential Italian varieties

Italy grows and celebrates several squash varieties worth knowing:

• The Marina di Chioggia: a warty squash with dark green skin and dense, sweet flesh, grown in the Venetian lagoon since the 17th century. Ideal for risotti and gratins.
• The Mantovana: a must in the province of Mantua, with very dry yellow-orange flesh — it's what gives the *tortello di zucca* its character.
• The Delica: a small round squash with green skin, very common in Italian supermarkets, with fine, barely fibrous flesh.
• The Butternut (*zucca violina* in Italy): pinkish-beige flesh, sweet and creamy, widely used in soups in the South.
• The Lunga di Napoli: a traditional variety from the Mezzogiorno, long and green, used in *minestre* and slow-cooked Calabrian dishes.

Why squash took hold in Northern Italy

Geography partly explains this preference. The Po basin — the Po Valley plain — offers ideal conditions for growing cucurbits: rich soils, plenty of irrigation, hot summers. Farming families in Lombardy and Veneto made squash part of their winter diet from the 17th century, not only because it's filling, but because it keeps for several months at room temperature. That logic of household thrift shaped recipes passed down from generation to generation.

The great regional recipes to know

Mantua's tortello di zucca: Italy's most famous sweet-savoury pairing

The Mantuan *tortello di zucca* is probably Italy's most iconic squash recipe. It's a large fresh-pasta ravioli filled with a mix of cooked squash, crumbled amaretti, mostarda di Cremona and Parmigiano Reggiano. The sweet-savoury-spicy combination is a remnant of medieval cooking, where sweet and bitter flavours were freely mixed.

The recipe has been protected by a *De.Co.* (Denominazione Comunale) since 2007, which means the city of Mantua officially recognises the traditional recipe. It's finished with brown butter and sage — never with cream. A fruity finishing oil, like the ripe fruity olive oil, can replace the butter in a lighter version, adding roundness without hiding the sweetness of the filling.

Risotto alla zucca: the Venetian version

In Veneto, squash goes into risotto quite naturally. The *Marina di Chioggia* is preferred for its density: diced, it partly melts as it cooks and creates a creamy texture without piling on Parmesan. Contemporary versions are finished with olive oil rather than butter, and a few drops of bergamot olive oil add a citrus note that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the squash.

Risotto alla zucca is a weeknight dish in many Venetian families: it warms you up, it fills you up, and it takes less than thirty minutes from pre-cooked squash.

Minestra di zucca from the Mezzogiorno

In Southern Italy, squash goes into everyday soups. In Calabria, the *Lunga di Napoli* — a long, sweet variety — is cut into chunks and simmered with dried beans, garlic, dried chilli and a generous pour of olive oil. The soup is served warm, finished with a drizzle of raw oil. It's *cucina povera* in its most honest form: a few ingredients, lots of flavour.

A finishing drizzle of organic green fruity extra virgin olive oil brings the bitterness and pungency that balance the natural sweetness of the squash and the heat of the chilli.

Cooking squash the Italian way: the key principles

A few simple rules let you approach squash with the rigour of Italian cooking:

1. Choose the right variety for the job. A very sweet, moist squash (butternut) suits soups and veloutés. A dense, dry squash (mantovana, Marina di Chioggia) suits fillings, risotti and gratins.
2. Drain or roast before adding it. Italians often roast squash in the oven before adding it to a filling or a risotto: it concentrates the flavours and gets rid of excess water.
3. Pair contrasting flavours. Mantua's squash-amaretti-mostarda combination is no accident: the sweetness of squash can handle bitterness, sweetness and heat. Don't hesitate to add an acidic note (balsamic vinegar, citrus) or a bitter one (herbs, rocket).
4. Finish with oil, not cream. Northern Italian cooking uses butter, but contemporary versions favour olive oil as a finish. It's more stable with heat and the result is less heavy.
5. Serve hot, but not scalding. Like other sweet vegetables, squash shows its aromas best at around 60-65 °C. A dish that's too hot masks its natural sweetness.
6. Store it properly. A whole, uncut squash keeps for two to three months in a cool, dark place. Once cut, it keeps for three to four days in the fridge, wrapped in cling film.

Pairings at the table: what really works

Squash calls for flavours that can offset its natural sweetness. A few classic pairings in Italian cooking:

• Squash and Parmigiano Reggiano: the cheese brings the umami and salt the squash lacks. It's the basic pairing in risotto and tortello.
• Squash and amaretti: these bitter-almond biscuits go into the Mantuan filling for a slightly bitter, crunchy note.
• Squash and balsamic vinegar: a drizzle of Gold collection Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP over a slice of roast squash makes a remarkable autumn pairing — the sweetness of the vegetable is lifted by the acidity of the aged balsamic.
• Squash and sausage: in Milanese autumn risotti, *luganega* sausage is paired with squash. The fat and salt of the sausage balance the vegetable's sweetness.
• Squash and nut spreads: less conventional but very interesting — Piedmont hazelnut spread on toast rubbed with olive oil, served as an amuse-bouche before a squash soup, creates aromatic harmony (hazelnut and squash share toasty, sweet notes).

Frequently asked questions about squash in Italian cooking

What's the difference between zucca and zucchina in Italy?

*Zucca* means ripe squash (pumpkin, butternut, Marina di Chioggia…), harvested in autumn, with orange or yellow flesh. *Zucchina* (courgette) is the same plant picked immature, in summer. In the kitchen, they don't have the same texture, the same use or the same flavour profile.

Can you replace butter with olive oil in tortello di zucca?

Yes, as long as you choose an oil whose profile doesn't mask the delicacy of the filling. A ripe fruity oil, soft and round, works better than a grassy green fruity oil, which could overpower the amaretti and mostarda. The organic ripe fruity olive oil is well suited to this.

Which squash can you find at Italian markets in October?

At the height of the season, you'll find Marina di Chioggia (very plentiful in Veneto), Delica (all over the North), Butternut, Mantovana and Lunga di Napoli in the South. The *Berrettina Piacentina*, a variety with speckled grey-green skin, is a Po Valley speciality that's starting to appear at markets in big cities. Foodservice professionals who want to feature these varieties on their menu can check the professional area to round out their supply of seasonal Italian products.