I would crush with the pumpkin
Pestarei con la Zucca
Traditional creamy pesto made with pumpkin, flour, and milk, served hot with freshly added milk.
Pesta with pumpkin is a traditional, soft and creamy dish, perfect for serving hot when you want a simple, nutritious dish with a comforting texture. The sweetness of the pumpkin provides the aromatic foundation of the recipe, while the cornmeal introduces a rustic note and the 00 flour helps to obtain a smooth texture, similar to that of a soft béchamel sauce. Milk makes the mixture Smooth and delicate, with butter completing the rounded flavor. Slow cooking requires careful attention and constant stirring, essential to avoid lumps and maintain a smooth cream. Pestarei are a traditional dish and are served piping hot in soup tureens, with cold milk added at the time; the cold version can also be made with hot milk.
Instructions
ShareVoice reading
8 steps · natural Italian voice
Cook the pumpkin
Peel the pumpkin pieces and boil them in a little water or bake them in the oven at 180°C (356°F). Check if they are cooked by inserting a toothpick into the flesh: it should penetrate easily, without encountering resistance.
Reduce the pumpkin
Drain the pumpkin, if you boiled it, then pass it through the food mill Or blend it until smooth. The purée should be smooth and free of lumps, as it will form the base for the pesto sauce.
Combine the flours
Pour the pumpkin puree into a pan and add the cornmeal and the 00 flour. Mix thoroughly with a whisk or a tablespoon, distributing the flours evenly and immediately dissolving any lumps.
Add milk and butter
Combine the milk and butter to the mixture of pumpkin and flour, then season with salt to tasteMix until the butter is completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth, still fluid, and without any localized thickening.
Cook slowly
20 minCook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid the mixture It doesn't stick or form lumps. The pestarei are ready when they reach a soft, creamy consistency, similar to that of béchamel sauce.
Adjust the consistency
Evaluate the density at the end of cooking and, if necessary, adjust the quantity of 00 flour depending on the consistency of the pumpkin puree. Keep the mixture soft: it must not become compact or dry.
Serve hot
Pour the pesto sauce while still hot into bowls and add cold milk just before serving. Serve immediately, once the sauce is creamy and the contrasting heat with the milk maintains a smooth consistency.
Reheat leftovers
If you serve the pesto cold or use leftovers, add warm milk just before serving. Stir gently until the mixture is soft and smooth again.
Chef's Tips
Stir continuously during cooking and adjust the 00 flour only after having assessed the density of the pumpkin puree, so that the pestarei will remain soft and without lumps.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for 4 people
- (2.11 pt) 1 liter of milk
- (10.58 oz) 300 g sweet pumpkin
- (3.53 oz) 100 g of cornmeal
- (1.76 oz) 50 g of 00 flour
- (0.88 oz) 25 g butter
- salt
Can't find it in the US?
- cornmealMost US supermarkets
Medium or coarse cornmeal, often labeled polenta
Not corn flour, masa harina or cornstarch.
- 00 flourMost US supermarkets
All-purpose flour, same weight
Or: Bread flour for pizza and bread
⚠️ Automatic ingredient-based detection. Always check product labels.
Translate