October is the month of pumpkin par excellence. Pumpkin, an autumn vegetable, lends itself well to many preparations. The great thing about this fruit is that you can use all parts of it, from the skin to the seeds.

Normally the skin and seeds are thrown away, but they can be used to give a crunch to dishes, avoiding food waste.

I personally love the versatility of pumpkin, which can be used for both savoury and sweet recipes.

Here are three versions of pumpkin: marinated in lemon, roasted in the oven, and creamy with curry.

The ingredients for pumpkin in three ways by Chef Davide Larise

Ingredients for 4 people

Per la crema di zucca:

• 200 g cleaned pumpkin
• 5 g extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 small part of leek
• 1 tablespoon of curry
• salt to taste

For the marinated pumpkin:

• 32 thin slices of pumpkin
• lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• salt to taste

Roasted pumpkin:

• 200 g cleaned pumpkin
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• rosemary
• sage
• a few cloves of garlic

For the aromatic oil:

• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 5 desalted capers
• 5 parsley leaves

Decoration:

• almonds

Preparation methodology

Cut the cleaned pumpkin into small pieces of similar size. Do the same with the leek and garlic. Put everything in a pot with a lid, add salt and a few tablespoons of water. Cook over a low heat for about 30 minutes to obtain a thick mixture. Blend the mixture well, adding the olive oil to obtain a smooth but very thick cream.

Slice the pumpkin thinly with a mandoline or slicer, brush the slices with lemon and season with salt and oil. Carry out this operation 24 hours in advance, to allow time for the marinade to be fully absorbed.

Cut the pumpkin into triangles of about 3 cm each side, arrange them on a griddle and season with oil, salt, rosemary, sage and garlic. Cook in the oven on a low plate at 180°C for about 15/20 minutes.

Prepare the aromatic oil by chopping the capers and parsley. Add the chopped mixture to the oil and season lightly.

Serve the vegetables and add the toasted almonds.

Davide Larise

“Teacher at the Italian Food Academy and Alma the International School of Italian Cuisine. Today he is a consultant for restaurants and companies. Davide has worked at chef Pietro Leemann’s Joia restaurant in Milan.”

This recipe was prepared on