Pasta zucca e speck

Here’s a recipe for preparing pasta with pumpkin and speck, a dish that combines the sweet flavor of pumpkin with the savoriness of speck for a tasty contrast. A typical recipe like this can have regional variations in Italy, but here I propose a classic version with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

• 320 g of pasta (penne or rigatoni work well)
• 400 g of cleaned pumpkin
• 150 g of speck, sliced
• 1 small onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated cheese (Parmesan or pecorino) to serve
• A pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• Vegetable broth or water (if needed)

Preparation

1. Start by cutting the pumpkin into similarly sized cubes for even cooking.
2. Finely slice the onion and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until it becomes transparent.
3. Add the pumpkin to the pan with the onion, season with salt and pepper to taste and, if you like, a sprinkle of nutmeg. Let it cook over medium heat, adding a bit of vegetable broth or water if it dries out too much, until the pumpkin is tender but not mushy.
4. While the pumpkin is cooking, cut the speck into strips and set it aside.
5. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions.
6. In a separate pan, fry the speck until it becomes crispy.
7. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
8. Add the pasta to the pan with the pumpkin and stir well to blend the flavors. If the pasta seems too dry, add some of the cooking water you set aside.
9. Finally, add the crispy speck to the pasta and gently toss to distribute evenly.
10. Serve hot with a sprinkle of grated cheese to taste.

Trivia

Speck is a type of cured meat typical of Northern Italy, especially Trentino-Alto Adige, and is traditionally smoked and aged to impart that characteristic flavor that marries well with the sweetness of the pumpkin. In this recipe, we have enhanced these flavors in a contrast of tastes that make the dish interesting to the palate.