Do Italians celebrate Halloween with food recipes?
The pumpkin is the symbol of Halloween feast for the Anglo-Saxons, but never meant this for Italians. Traditionally, indeed, for the Italians the pumpkin means just food.
Halloween is not a traditional local event, although in recent years this festival is absolutely popular also in Italy, especially among young people.
Halloween is a recent happening for Italians.
The halloween party in Italy is essentially a fashion party with teenagers (and some adults) dressing costumes and partying all night long. Easy because all the schools are off the next day. Not only schools: November 1st celebrates, indeed, the feast of All Saints, that is a religious recourrence but also an official bank holiday in Italy. For Italian kids too, Halloween means receiving lots of candies, maingly their parents. Sometimes from some shops vendors. That is to say, no italian child goes to a field with his parents to choose a pumpkin to carve to make a lantern. No child rings the bells of the houses asking for sweets, or, very dangerous, smearing houses for trick. So, it is quite a different event.
The history of pumpkins.
Let’s take a step back in time to see how the ancient people used pumpkins. For centuries, empty and dried pumpkins have been excellent containers. Lightweight, unbreakable, and waterproof used to carry gunpowder or snuff or sounding board for musical instruments. Even marker buoys for boats and for endless other practical uses. Many of the pumpkin types currently grown in Europe seem to come from the new world. So, even the pumpkin, such as potatoes and tomatoes, arrived in Europe after the discovery of the Americas. Sweet and low in calories, indeed, it pleases the eyes and is suitable for many preparations. The pumpkin is a healthy, digestible, and easy to store vegetable,indeed. In other words, the pumpkinks play a infinite gastronomic game thaks to its versatility.
How many are the main Italian recipes based on pumpkin?
Definitely the pumpkin risotto, the pumpkin tortelli, and the velvety soups. Pumpkin’ pulp can also be used to create gnocchi, sweet and sour recipes. Baked gratinated sticks, flans and even ice cream. With the pumpkin you can make an entire meal. In short, from the aperitif to the dessert.
nothing is thrown away from the pumpkin: the pulp is eaten, the flowers are fried and more. At least, the seeds are toasted and used to dress salads or bread.
Italian pumpkin-based menu for Halloween:
Appetizer: fried pumpkins’ flower
The recipe is a boast of Roman food tradition, we talked about it so much.It is assumed Roman local food style follows seasonality for ingredients.
If zucchini season is over, this is the perfect time for the pumpkin flowers perfect to host the mozzarella cheese and the anchovies.
First course: Pumpkin risotto
Ingredients for 4 people:
300 g of rice, 400 g of pumpkin pulp, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1.5 ml of vegetable or meat broth, 100 g of butter, nutmeg, and salt.
whisk with 40 g of butter, 550 g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, black pepper.
How to make it:
Cut the pulp into chunks, removing the seeds and filaments. Fry the chopped onion and whole garlic in butter. When the garlic is blond you can remove it from the pan. Add the pieces of pumpkin to the pan and toss by adding salt, nutmeg and, if necessary, a little broth. Rinse the rice, preferably vialone or carnaroli type.
Add it to the saucepan and toast it in the sauce over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add the boiling broth, ladle by ladle until absorbed. it takes about 12-15 minutes depending on the type of rice.
Just before serving, off the heat, stir in the cheese.
for a wow effect add some crumbled amaretto biscuits before serving.
Second course: Pumpkin and onion omelette
Recipe for 4 people:
8 eggs + 400 g of pumpkin, 1 white onion, 100 g of flour, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
How to make it:
In a non-stick pan, fry the finely chopped onion with the oil. add the beaten eggs with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with the lid until the side is firm and then turn the omelette in the pan.
cut the pumpkin into thin slices, flour them and fry in another pan. When they are golden, dry them with excess oil with a paper towel.
Add the vinegar by steaming it on the pumpkin. serve the omelette together with the pumpkin
Dessert: Pumpkin gelato
Dessert: Pumpkin 400 gr of pumpkin pulp, 300 gr of milk, 125 gr of white sugar, 4 amaretti biscuits, vanilla
How to make it:
Boil the pulp in the milk with the vanilla, add the sugar and stir continuously.
When the pumpkin is cooked, put everything in the mixer and blend together with the amaretti.
Wit for it to cool completely, then place it in the ice cream maker.
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