Baked pumpkin with ricotta and honey

Name: Zucca al forno con ricotta e miele
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 porzioni
Cuisine: Italiana
Ingredients: 800 g di zucca Hokkaido o mantovana a spicchi; 150 g di ricotta fresca; 2 cucchiai di miele di castagno o millefiori; Salvia fresca; Olio extravergine d’oliva; Sale grosso; Pepe nero; 30 g di noci o pinoli tostati; Peperoncino in scaglie; Timo fresco; Burro

Zucca al forno con ricotta e miele

Roasted wedges with ricotta, honey and crispy sage

Roasted Hokkaido pumpkin with fresh ricotta, chestnut honey, crispy sage, and dried fruit.

40 min

4 servings

Easy

The editorial team proposes a contemporary Italian autumn dish, simple to present and built on the encounter of contrasting textures and flavors. Oven-roasted Hokkaido squash develops caramelized edges and a soft flesh, while fresh ricotta adds a creamy, delicate note. Chestnut honey, preferred for its bitterness, balances the squash's natural sweetness with a more intense note. Sage fried in butter adds crunch and aroma, completing the dish along with toasted nuts and pepper. The Hokkaido squash's skin remains edible and softens during cooking. The dish can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or light vegetarian main course. The recipe is not attributed to a specific Italian region in the text.

Instructions

Voice reading

3 steps · natural Italian voice

Roast the pumpkin

30 min

Cut the pumpkin into wedges 2-(1.18 in) 3 cm thick; leave the peel if using Hokkaido, as it is edible and softens in the oven. Season with plenty of oil, coarse salt and pepper, then arrange the wedges on a baking pan. Bake at 200°C (392°F) for 25-30 minutes, until the flesh is tender and the edges are caramelized.

Fry the sage

2 min

Melt a knob of butter in a saucepan over medium heatAdd the sage leaves and fry them for 1-2 minutes, until crispy and fragrant. Drain and set aside until ready to assemble the dish.

Compose and serve

Arrange the pumpkin wedges on a serving plate and add spoonfuls of fresh ricotta. Drizzle with honey. in a thin stream, then sprinkle with fried sage and toasted walnuts or pine nuts. Finish with black pepper and chili pepper in flakes; serve immediately to preserve the crunchiness of the sage.

Chef's Tips

Fry the sage just before serving, as it quickly loses its crispiness.