Pumpkin is a vegetable with numerous properties. For centuries it has been said to have calming properties and to aid sleep. The flesh, rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins A and C, is an antioxidant, inhibits free radicals and helps combat the early ageing of tissue. This pumpkin has minimal calories because of its high water concentration and low percentage of sugars, giving it dietetic, digestive and refreshing properties. Over the last few years, Mantua has hosted the culinary 'Di zucca in zucca' festival in autumn, celebrating this vegetable that has practically become the symbol of the land of the Gonzagas. The pumpkin is an essential part of the local culinary tradition and, in the past, was known as the 'pork' of the poor. The similarity goes even further as the idea of throwing nothing away - synonymous with the use of pork - also holds for the pumpkin. Pumpkin flowers are superb when basted and fried in hot oil, and the seeds can be roasted and salted to make a tasty delicacy. This vegetable really made the leap to a noble food when it caught on in the court, being used by talented chefs to produce a wondrous variety of culinary delights. From this springboard, it became the undisputed king of Mantuan recipes, with the famous pumpkin tortelli topping the list.
Varieties
The real secret to the success of Mantuan pumpkin recipes is the type of pumpkin grown in these parts. Known as the Cucurbita maxima, it looks like a globe, with the tops slightly squashed in the Piacentina and Mantovana varieties (greyish-green colour). The Marina di Chioggia variety is green and weighs around 8kg, while the Turbante variety has a bright orange upper section, but is whitish at the bottom.
Around Mantua, they say you should cook pumpkin with its skin on to help maintain its properties. Pumpkin is hardly ever eaten raw and almost always cooked. For the best results, the pumpkin should lose as much water as possible during cooking. To cook it with the skin, it is best to cut it in half, remove the seeds and fibres, cover in tin foil and then bake it in the oven at 200° to make it softer (use a fork to check when it is soft). While the pumpkin is still hot, remove from the oven and spoon out the flesh that, once reduced to a purée, is ideal for fillings, gnocchi and so on.
Method
To make a purée from the flesh cooked in the oven, it is best to use a sieve rather than a food processor to avoid an overly liquid end product. Once it has been pushed through a sieve, allow the flesh to dry as much as possible. Spread it uniformly across a baking tray and place in an oven at 100° for as long as needed.