Riffing on a traditional Parmigiana, this recipe replaces the eggplant with pumpkin, whose sweet enveloping flavor lends itself well to this revisited Italian classic.
The recipe follows the same steps for eggplant Parmigiana, requiring more time for cooking than for prep. Check out the above photo gallery for tips on how to add some extra verve.
Pumpkin Parmigiana
Ingredients:
1 pumpkin
3 cups tomato purée
8 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano
garlic, 1 clove
all-purpose flour
peanut oil
basil
extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
Method:
Make the sauce
Heat a drizzle of oil with the clove of garlic in a pot, then pour in the tomato puree. Add basil, a pinch of salt, and cook with the lid on over low heat for around 30 minutes.
Prepare the pumpkin
Peel and cut the pumpkin into ½″ slices. In the meantime, pour enough peanut oil to cover the pumpkin slices into a pan and place it over medium heat. Dip the pumpkin slices in flour, then fry them in the boiling oil. Remove and drain the pumpkin, then dry the slices with paper towels.
Parmigiana time
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slather a spoonful of tomato sauce across the bottom of a large baking dish, then cover with a layer of pumpkin slices. Continue alternating layers of tomato sauce and pumpkin until the Parmigiana reaches the brim, then sprinkle grated Parmigiano Reggiano over the top and add two basil leaves. Place in the oven for around 30 minutes and serve hot.