Pasta with squash, our summer & fall “minestra”

Do you know how to cook “pasta con la zucchina a minestra“? I already told you about pasta a minestra in general, now we are preparing a specific minestra with squash. This is a great summer and autumn dish.

I know I know, everyone thinks that in summer you only have to eat cold or refreshing food, but Sicilian tradition do not agree with that. Infact in Summer we also prepare some types of pasta made with broth, like a soup, and this is exactly one of them. You may not have it too liquid (like it is in the pic above, but that depends only on your personal taste!) Even better is having it in this season, when the first rains arrive.

Ingredients & preparation for 4 people:

1 half of a squash (if very long)

1 small white onion

400 gr. broken spaghetti (Ital. spaghetti spezzati)

4-5 ts of tomato sauce

80 gr. matured caciocavallo cheese in small cubes

a small piece of dried chili pepper (or alternatively some flakes or grounded one)

salt & pepper

extra virgin olive oil

1. Rinse the squash and peel it with a potato peeler. If too long cut it in half first. Then once peeled just cut it in slices of about 2 cm.

2. Dice the onion. 

3. On a medium heat put a large pan half filled with water. When the water boils put salt (or a bio stock-cube if preferred), the chopped onion and the squash in pieces. 

4. After about 12-15 minutes put the pasta and the tomato sauce. For this dish we use the “spaghetti spezzati” type of pasta, which are simply broken spaghetti. 

5. When the pasta is almost cooked (usually after 10 minutes) put the little pieces of caciocavallo cheese inside the soup, so that they have the time to melt a bit (matured caciocavallo is very hard). This local cheese is very salty and tasty, so is the perfect contrast with the delicate taste of the squash and it gives it the right kick. 

6. Serve hot and with a drizzle of olive oil on top. Adjust with chilly pepper if you like it very hot.

If you want to try this lovely pasta don’t hesitate: it’s simple, healthy and tasty. Good for everyone from toddlers to elders and of course perfect for vegeterians too. Enjoy!