Sicilian Pumpkin Soup (Pizzuliati)

Marrying into a Sicilian family, has given me the chance to enjoy some incredible culinary experiences, but none have intrigued me as much as this hearty pumpkin soup that my late mother in law, Giovanna introduced me to.  The ingredients were either home-grown such as the pumpkin, preserved using traditional methods, such as the sun-dried tomatoes, locally sourced from a nearby farmhouse cheese factory and hand made pasta adding that final loving touch. It's a simple, rustic dish that's become a favourite in our household, and I'm curious to know if anyone else makes something similar. It's made with just four main ingredients and there really isn't a strict recipe - you can adjust everything to suit your own taste and what you have available. 

Like many of our mothers, this recipe comes together without formal measurements.  Over time, I've experimented with the quantities, depending on what I have on hand, but I always keep three essential ingredients: pumpkin, ricotta and sundried tomatoes.  Sometimes I skip the handmade semolina pasta that gives this dish its name, pizzuliati. You can substitute this with risoni pasta or even rice.  More about this hand made pasta later on as it is the fourth of the main ingredients to be added to this soup.  

Sicilian Pumpkin Soup (Pizzuliati)

Quantities used feeds 4

Ingredients:

Pumpkin - 'Zucca'

Any variety will do, but I like to combine two types for added flavour.

1/2 butternut pumpkin 

1/4 jap pumpkin

Whey Cheese - 'Ricotta' 

Ricotta adds the creamy element to the soup.  My in laws used to make Sunday trips to Sunbury, Victoria, back when it was still considered a rural town in the '70's. They would buy fresh ricotta from a farmhouse cheese factory, using it in many dishes.  My husband often reminisced about these trips, recalling how they'd turn into a breakfast picnic, enjoying hot, freshly made ricotta outdoors.  

Any good quality ricotta from your local delicatessen will work well.  I used 180 grams of ricotta which will be sufficient for the quantities of pumpkin used. This however can be adjusted to suit your taste.

Sundried Tomatoes - 'Pomodori Secchi'

I prefer to use homemade sun dried tomatoes, because they are sweet, plump and preservative free, but store bought ones also work.   Make sure they are preservatives free!  I learnt the technique of preserving tomatoes from Giovanna as well.  Over recent years she upgraded to a dehydrating machine, but back in the days boards covered in plump home grown tomatoes drying under the hot sun would sprawl their backyard. 

This soup will be made with some of my last batch for the year, but I'm prepared to use a good store bought version with no preservatives added if I need to.

I used six sun dried tomatoes, and cut them into small pieces. They add both flavour and colour to the soup. 

Handmade Semolina Pasta - 'Pizzuliati'

Pizzuliato in Sicilian dialect, comes from the word pizzico (pinch), referring to how the small granules are formed.  

To make the dough, you need:  1/2 cup of semolina, 1/2 cup of plain flour and enough water to form the dough.  Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic, then pinch off small pieces and rub them between your thumb and forefinger to form small granules.  You can adjust the size to your liking.  They're slightly larger than risoni pasta.  On  busy days  I have used risoni pasta or rice for convenience, making the soup less rustic but just as satisfying.

 

Remainder of ingredients:

• bunch of flat leaf parley
• 1 small brown onion (finely diced)
• 1 medium clove garlic (crushed)
• 1/4 cup of oil
• salt to taste
• enough water to just cover pumpkin while cooking
• cracked pepper (optional)
• shredded parley (optional)

Peel, and cut into large pieces the two varieties of pumpkin.  Dice the onion, crush the garlic and place in a large saucepan - one you would normally use to make a large batch of soup in.

Add the cut sun dried tomatoes, whole parsley, oil, salt and fill the pot with water just enough to cover the pumpkin.   Many times I have used less water to achieve a thicker soup.  Place pot on stove with lid and simmer until everything is cooked and the flavours have combined - the pumpkin should be very soft and falling apart. 

Remove the parsley stalks leaving only the leaves in the soup. Roughly mash the soup with a fork or potato masher as it is not meant to be pureed smooth.

With a fork, mash the ricotta in a separate bowl, then stir into the pumpkin soup.   You can mix it thoroughly for a creamier texture or leave it a bit chunky, as we do. 

In a pot of boiling water, cook the pizzuliati - al dente, drain all the water and add the pasta to the pumpkin soup. My mother in law would cook the pasta directly into the soup making it a 'one pot wonder'.  At this point I like to add cracked pepper and when serving a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

This rustic style hearty soup is perfect for cold winter nights, especially with some crusty bread on the side.

Enjoy!