Squash & Gourds
1180 recipes found
Hot Pepper Fettuccine With Roasted Butternut Squash
To contrast with the sweetness of butternut squash, look to something salty and something spicy. This dish features hand-cut homemade red pepper pasta, no more difficult than making ordinary egg pasta. The dough contains three kinds of dried red pepper — sweet paprika, cayenne and a bit of smoky pimentón — which give it its rusty red hue. You can prep most of the components in advance, so it’s easy to finish at the last minute.
Roasted Squash With Coconut, Chile and Garlic
Mix dry coconut, dry chile and garlic together, and you can easily brighten a batch of roasted winter squash. But this South Indian home-cooking technique is versatile and works with many kinds of vegetables too. Cut a head of cauliflower into florets, and roast that instead. Or shave brussels sprouts or red cabbage very thinly, and cook it in a skillet, adding the coconut-chile-garlic mixture when the vegetable is cooked. In the spring, try it with fresh peas or fava beans. In the summer, try corn kernels. The variations are endless.
Rice Pilaf With Pumpkin, Currants and Pine Nuts
A well-made rice pilaf may be prepared in advance and reheated, covered, in a medium-hot oven. In Turkey, short-grain Bomba rice is preferred, but you may substitute Arborio, or long-grained white rice if you wish. Be sure to rinse the rice well, which will help the grains to remain separate, not clumped together.
Sancocho
Sancocho, a word often used as slang by Puerto Ricans to mean a big old mix of things, is a rustic stew eaten across the Caribbean and made with every imaginable combination of proteins and vegetables. My father cooked his with beef, corn and noodles; my mom with chicken breasts, lean pork and sweet plantains; my grandmother with beef, pork on the bone and yautia. As such, I’ve rarely used a recipe, so this one is based largely on observation, taste memory and what I like. Pretty much every ingredient can be swapped out, and it also makes for a sumptuous vegetarian dish without meat. Sancocho epitomizes the resilience of Puerto Rican people, as it is often prepared in times of crisis — such as after a hurricane — and made with whatever you have on hand.
Baked Acorn Squash With Walnut Oil and Maple Syrup
Acorn squash has a mild flavor and goes well with sweet and nutty seasonings. This makes a nice Thanksgiving side dish, though you might want to cut the baked halves in half again for smaller portions.
Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger
This silky fall/winter puree tastes rich, though there is no cream or butter in it.
Cucumber Collins
Pimm’s Cup With Muddled Cucumber
Pimm’s No. 1, a gin-based liqueur, is named after James Pimm, the bar owner who created it in the mid 1800s. By the 1860s, it was bottled. At one point, there were other “cups,” numbered 2 through 6, based on brandy, rum and other spirits. But the No. 1, a reddish tonic with citrusy and bitter notes, has always been the star, and it is not quite like anything else on the shelf. The Pimm’s Cup’s skeletal components are nothing more than a measure of Pimm’s and roughly three measures of either lemonade, lemon soda or ginger ale (your preference), served over ice in a long glass and typically garnished with cucumber.
Pumpkin-Ginger Sorbet
This autumnal sorbet can be made vegan-friendly by substituting agave syrup for the honey. If you would rather not use canned pumpkin, try roasting honeynut squashes, 40 minutes at 400 degrees, then scraping out the insides, which become a smooth purée under the heat; two squashes will give you enough purée for this recipe.The sorbet is excellent served with slivers of candied ginger on top or with pieces of pumpkin seed brittle. And it’s surprisingly amenable to tracings of chilled dark chocolate sauce.
Spa Cooler
Baby Pumpkins With Seafood
This recipe is adapted from Las Ramblas, a tapas restaurant in Greenwich Village, where mini-pumpkins are filled with a creamy sauce and shrimp. You may substitute mushrooms for the seafood or one acorn squash for the Jack-Be-Littles. Pair it with a glass of Puilly-Fuissé.
Eye of the Komodo
My friend Michael Sharkey is one of the best home bartenders I know, and he sometimes surprises me with delicious new creations when I visit. His latest is the Eye of the Komodo (he originally christened it Ojo del Komodo — but I botched and Anglicized it, probably because I think the Eye of the Komodo sounds more like a ‘60s horror movie). Built on a foundation of what Michael calls “lizard liquid” and fortified by mezcal, it is bright green, satisfyingly spicy and garnished with a vegetal “eyeball.” What’s not to love?
Soy-Braised Vegetable Jjim (Korean Vegetable Stew)
Inspired by Korean kalbi jjim (braised short ribs), this satisfying vegetarian one-pot meal features cremini mushrooms alongside hearty potatoes, squash, carrots and Korean radishes. The vegetables braise and release sweet juices into the pot, creating a deep, savory sauce infused with fragrant garlic and ginger. Since this stew is all about the vegetables, treat them well by cooking it in the oven. It’s gentler on the vegetables, which have a tendency to fall apart when cooked over direct, aggressive heat. Vibrant orange kabocha squash has a rich, firm flesh, but lighter butternut squash is a good alternative. Leftovers can be transformed into a versatile tasty ragù: Simply chop the vegetables, simmer with crushed tomatoes and finish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Summer Squash Gratin With Pickled Rye Bread Crumbs
This rustic casserole was first developed using a specialty pickled rye bread from Carissa’s The Bakery in East Hampton, N.Y. The same effect is achieved in this recipe by mixing fresh rye bread crumbs (or even white bread crumbs) with a splash of pickle juice. Summer squash and zucchini are layered with caramelized onions, Gruyère and a handful of the bread crumbs, which help absorb excess moisture. If you can find patty pan squash, it makes for a particularly beautiful presentation.
Locro de Gallina (Chicken Soup With Squash, Green Plantains and Yuca)
Derived from a Quechua term for a hearty soup-stew hybrid, locro originated in the Andes mountain range but today encompasses a glut of South American soups that vary from country to country, and household to household. Originally made with varying combinations of squash, corn, beans and potatoes, locro has transformed regionally, with some even including ingredients like poached eggs and thinly shaved brisket. Inspired by versions found in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, this recipe starts with chicken broth seasoned with turmeric, paprika and annatto seeds, and uses squash, plantains and yuca, but feel free to use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge. Make sure to keep the pieces large so they don’t disintegrate into the soup as it simmers; cutting them with your spoon as you eat is part of the experience.
Roasted Mushroom and Butternut Squash Tart
This is a substantial tart with a crunchy, whole-grain dough. Don’t be put off by the yeast in the dough. It makes it both airy and crisp, and isn’t at all hard to handle. You don’t even need a mixer; this dough comes together quickly and easily by hand. For the most complex flavors, use a variety of different types of mushrooms, though just one kind is fine if that's what you have. Oysters, maitake, shiitake, black trumpet and chanterelles are best, but even cremini mushrooms work nicely. Serve this warm or at room temperature, preferably within 6 hours of baking for the crispiest crust, though it will hold up for a day or two if you store it in the refrigerator and reheat it in a 300 degree oven before serving.
Cucumber and Cilantro Raita
When the season permits, you can change this dish into a jewel-studded pomegranate raita: simply substitute pomegranate seeds for the cucumber and cilantro. In either case remember to add a good pinch of salt to the yogurt.
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
This vegan “cheesecake,” which is adapted from “Vegan Pie in the Sky” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, may not fool everyone at the table, but it will definitely satisfy them. Silken tofu, cashews and banana make it extra creamy, while lemon juice and orange zest provide the tang you’d normally get from cream cheese. (Be sure to soak the cashews long enough; you want them to completely disappear into the batter upon blending.) This dessert can be made in a pie dish or a springform pan, but if you make it in a pie dish, keep an eye on the crust as it bakes; tent the cheesecake with foil if the edges are getting too brown.
Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding
This warm pumpkin bread pudding from Chloe Coscarelli, the vegan chef and cookbook author, is generously-spiced and studded with semisweet chocolate chips. It’s a rich and creamy dessert that’s free of dairy and eggs but will leave everyone feeling as if they have indulged.
Mole Negro
Mole negro is one of the most striking and complex moles from the state of Oaxaca. The color and flavor come from nearly incinerating the chilhuacles negros, the native dried chiles used for the base. They’re then rinsed and soaked to revive their flavor and to remove the bitterness from the charring. What results is a velvety black sauce that’s traditionally served over roasted poultry, but also pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables and fish.
Puréed Roasted Squash and Yams With Citrus
This aromatic dish is inspired by a recipe in Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s wonderful book “The Splendid Table.” The dish was traditional at Yom Kippur among the Italian Jews of Emilia-Romagna. Ms. Kasper says that in Italy the dish is often served with poached turkey, which says to me that it’s perfect for Thanksgiving.
Roasted Veggie Tarts
Ashley Wood of Winnipeg, Canada uses a mini-muffin tray to form the shells of her crowd-pleasing butternut squash and zucchini mini-tarts. The vegetable filling is made quick and easy by using a wok to cook the vegetables. “I do advise to make more than needed …because they vanish off the plate quickly!” she warns.
Zucchini Phyllo Pizza
Roasted Grape and Butternut Squash Bruschetta
Rob Beasley, the chef at the Chaumette Vineyard and Winery in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., created these bruschetta to show off the flavors of fall. He uses the coeur de clos cheese made a short drive away at Baetje Farms. It’s a Camembert-style cheese from goat and sheep milk. It works well in this recipe, but a fresh chévre is perfect, too.