Winter Squash With Anchovies, Capers, Olives and Ricotta Salata

Name: Winter Squash With Anchovies, Capers, Olives and Ricotta Salata
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed; 3 anchovy fillets, preferably salted fillets, rinsed, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water, drained and chopped; 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, chopped if large; 2 pounds peeled winter squash, cut in 3/4-inch chunks about 7 cups; 1/2 cup imported black olives, pitted; 1/4 ounce (1 tablespoon) freshly grated ricotta salata; Salt; freshly ground pepper

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(17)
Notes: Read community notes

Adapted from a recipe in Clifford A. Wright’s book “Mediterranean Vegetables,” this is another Italian recipe for winter squash (or pumpkin, to Italians), this time from the southern region of Apulia. It’s a delicious contrast of sweet and savory. Serve it as a side dish, toss it with pasta or use it as a topping for squash blini. The seasoning is provided by the anchovies, capers and cheese, a salty contrast to the sweet squash (the recipe is not for you if you cannot eat salt).

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6

3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1medium onion, chopped
1large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
3anchovy fillets, preferably salted fillets, rinsed, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water, drained and chopped
2tablespoons capers, rinsed, chopped if large
2pounds peeled winter squash, cut in ¾-inch chunks about 7 cups
½cup imported black olives, pitted
¼ounce (1 tablespoon) freshly grated ricotta salata
Salt
freshly ground pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet and add the onion, garlic clove, anchovy fillets and capers. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the garlic clove and discard.
Step 2
Add the squash, stir together, add about ¼ cup of water if the pan is dry, and cover the pan. Cook, stirring often, for about 30 minutes, until the squash is tender. Add the olives and continue to cook, stirring, for another 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (you probably won’t need much salt).
Step 3
Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle on the ricotta salata and serve.

Tip

Advance preparation: This dish can be made a day ahead and reheated on top of the stove.

Ratings

4 out of 5

17 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Allison3 years ago

This was an interesting if a bit polarizing of a flavor combination - only half the table loved it, but we are used to sweet winter squash dishes over here. Followed the instructions as-is using butternut squash, and the consistency was perfect. Maybe my anchovies weren't high enough quality, but I couldn't quite seem to shake the fishy-ness despite the 5-min cold water soak.

Tokyo Tony6 years ago

I made this with a kabocha and it was becoming soft and mushy in 10 minutes.

AMHJR2 years ago

A+++ on this one, as is. We used oil-cured olives, cut in half to distribute the salt and were lucky that our cheese seller had a ricotta stagionata from Baslicata, next to Puglia, and it was the perfect garnish. But I can see feta working in a pinch, too. We used sweeter honey nut squash, which worked fine and amplified the sweet-sour aspect. Yes, it's unusual and if you like your buttered and brown sugared, it is not for you!

AMHJR2 years ago

Allison3 years ago

Tokyo Tony6 years ago

I made this with a kabocha and it was becoming soft and mushy in 10 minutes.

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