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The Berrettina pumpkin, with its roots firmly established here in the Oltrepò Pavese, will be the absolute star as we explore with Chef Patrizia Ferlini a recipe that pays tribute to it in an extraordinary way.
Welcome back in the company of Chef Patrizia Ferlini, who will guide us through the discovery of another traditional Pavia dish, telling us the story behind it. Today we are going to discover the ancient recipe for Gnocchi di zucca Berrettina, a real treat for the palate.
HISTORY OF BERRETTINA PUMPKIN GNOCCHI
It doesn‘t take much to understand the origin of the name of this pumpkin emblem of the Lungavilla area. Berrettina recalls, precisely, the shape of a beret. It is no coincidence that in dialect it is also known as capé da prèvi (priest‘s hat). It is an ancient tradition that links it to these places, but one that is still deep-rooted.
So deep-rooted that every year, on the first Sunday in October, a festival is dedicated to it, complete with a market and pumpkin-themed lunch from appetiser to dessert. The Berrettina pumpkin of Lungavilla has obtained the De.C.O. denomination, i.e. the Denominazione Comunale d‘Origine. In order to comply with this label, however, it must possess certain indispensable characteristics, including its typical grey-green colour, its two-pitch turban shape and a production area within the municipalities of Lungavilla and its surroundings.
It is a very versatile product, in fact it is used in the making of Nusat, the pumpkin pie that also makes up the menu for the evening of the seven Christmas Eve dinners. From sweet pancakes to filling ravioli and classic risotto, Berrettina pumpkin is ideal for any course. A dish of gnocchi could be one of the best ways to enjoy it, perhaps even with a simple dressing to savour its flavour.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
● 500 g Berrettina pumpkin
● 1 egg
● 200 g 00 flour
● nutmeg
● 80 g butter
● sage leaves
● 50 g Parmesan cheese
PROCEDURE
Carefully clean the Lungavilla berrettina squash, removing all the outside and inner seeds (which can be kept and roasted in the oven as a healthy snack). Cut it into equal-sized pieces and cook in a pressure cooker with water for 3 minutes or in the oven until soft.
Use a potato masher or fork to puree it. Transfer to a bowl and add eggs and flour. If the dough is still too soft and sticky, you can increase the amount of flour.
If, on the other hand, you prefer a soft dough, you can proceed with another baking technique. You can take small amounts of dough with a spoon and plunge it directly into boiling salted water.
Following the classic technique, you can now shape the gnocchi into snakes of dough and cut them with a knife. Boil in salted water.
Melt the butter flavoured with sage and sprinkle it over the gnocchi together with the Parmesan cheese.
