Stuffed Golden Onions

Boil the whole onions until they're soft but still firm enough to be cut and hollowed out without breaking. Drain them and let them cool just enough to handle them safely, keeping the outer layers intact, which contain the filling.

Cut each onion in half and carefully remove the central rings, leaving a hollow formed by the outer layers. Finely chop the removed part and set it aside: it will be used for the flavorful base of the filling. Arrange the onion halves until ready to be filled.

Finely chop and crush the slices of pancetta, then brown them in skillet with some of the butter. Add the chopped onion and the pasta Italian sausage, mix and cook until the mixture It will be well combined, fragrant, and lightly golden. Stir constantly to distribute the fat evenly.

Pre-cook the firm, yellow pumpkin pulp in the oven, then cut it into pieces. Brown it in a second pan. skillet with the remaining butter, the finely chopped garlic and parsley. Continue cooking until the pumpkin is soft, dry, and fragrant, but not watery.

Transfer the pumpkin to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, the mixture of onion, pancetta And Italian sausage and half of the pecorino grated. Season with salt to taste and pepper, then vigorously stir carefully until you obtain a smooth, compact mixture that is soft enough to be distributed into the wells.

Stuff the onion halves with the filling, distributing it evenly and without pressing it too much. Arrange the stuffed onions in a baking dish, keeping them well together so that they remain stable during cooking. Complete the surface with the pecorino grated cheese left.

Bake it baking dish In the preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven when the surface has turned a uniform golden color and the filling is nice and firm. The crust of pecorino it should be dry and slightly gratinated.

For the lean version, keep the same preparation and cooking of the onions, replacing the filling with pumpkin pulp, mostarda of fruit, amaretti cookies crushed almonds, an egg, and nutmeg. Mix the ingredients until you obtain a mixture smooth, then fill and cook as directed.