How to cook cucuzza: Don't let this giant, Italian squash intimidate you (2024)

My brother, John, arrived on my doorstep with a roughly 2 1/2-foot-long cucuzza.

He and my brother Michael both grow the Italian squash in their gardens, so I've eaten the snake-like creatures -- grown for decades in Italian-Americans New Orleanians' back yards. This, however, was the first time I'd been responsible for cooking a whole one - on my own.

The long, green squash sat on my counter for a couple of weeks. I knew once I broke the skin, I was committed to cook it, but how?

I turned to our Where NOLA Eats Facebook group for advice; and found out that I was not alone in my trepidation. One reader said: "My husband loves to bring me these, and I have no clue what to do with them."

Still, the group came through with lots of ideas.

Among the advice I got:

* Chef Aaron Burgau of

said simply: "Chicken stock, tomato, garlic, cucuzza, onion, evoo (extra virgin olive oil), poached egg and lots of parm(esan). A little basil oil if you want." He added: "I have a recipe with chorizo, too, that I bake with rigatoni. It's on Patois menu now."

* Chef Michael David Gulotta noted: "We use them for Som Tam salad at

." (See

.)

* Chef Jason Seither of

said: "Make a casserole-type stuffing with them. Add local shrimp, crab, and, of course, some trinity, butter, spice, bread crumbs."

* Ann Benoit, cookbook author and a columnist for The Times-Picayune's Picayune section, noted: "I like it in a casserole with the squash, onion, tomatoes, garlic, Italian sausage and cheeses." Saute the sausage and diced vegetables together until cucuzza is soft, about 10 minutes. The grease from the sausage will help saute the cucuzza.

"If not enough grease, add a pat of butter or some bacon grease or both. Put vegetable mixture in a casserole dish and toss with lots of dried basil, 2 (tablespoons) heavy cream and shredded cheese."

She likes to combine Romano, Parmesan and Asiago cheese in the mixture. Then, she tops with mozzarella and bacon bits and bakes it 350 for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. "Delizioso," she said.

* Another suggestion that I want to try came from food writer Micheline Maynard: She bakes the squash in a 400-degree oven: "Cut them up like French fries. Toss with olive oil, salt, breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Lay them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Roast 10 minutes, flip them over, roast another five. Turn on the broiler and finish them broiled until they get dark golden brown (they'll burn so keep an eye on them)."

(If you haven't already, please joinour Facebook group for one-on-one advice from New Orleans chefs as well as great home cooks. It's pretty nifty.)

Most readers advised cooking cucuzza just as you would yellow squash, zucchini or mirlitons. What's great about it is the slightly sweet, super mild flavor of the flesh, which works well with most seasonings and proteins.

Need more ideas? Most of the recipes below would work well with cucuzza, which is high in vitamin C and fiber and 3-1/2 ounces is only about 25 calories.

How to prep cucuzza: The first step, however, is to cut up the giant squash. Start by washing the exterior of the cucuzza; then cut the ends off. Next, slice it into work-able segments, to make it easier to manage.

Using a paring knife, peel the squash, being sure to cut away the tough, thick outer skin to the pale interior.

Look for seeds. Smaller squash, or the slenderer part of the squash, likely will not have large seeds and so may not need to be seeded. The fatter portion likely will have large, hard off-white seeds that must be removed.

It is best to keep the thinner part of the squash together and use it in casseroles and stuffings. The larger or older part is firmer, and so better for frying.

Depending on the recipe, cut the squash as you wish. It can be julienned, grated, cut into strips, sliced into wheels or chopped into pieces for a casserole.

I made made two successful recipes, a couple of failures and then froze the rest of the squash.

To freeze cucuzza: Slice it into 1/4- or 1/2-inch slices. Remove seeds, if necessary. Blanche for one minute in boiling water. Drain and run under cold water. Let pieces cool completely. Then, place in freezer bag, removing as much air as possible, and freeze. The frozen cucuzza are suitable for casseroles or spaghetti sauces.

Here are two recipes that I will make again as well as one from MoPho.

This dish would be good with meat as well. Consider 1-1/2 pounds ground beef or veal or of your favorite sausage sliced.

Cucuzza in red gravy

Serves 6

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/4 green pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5-ounce cans stewed whole tomatoes

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

5 cups peeled, sliced, seeded cucuzza

1 pound whole wheat angel hair pasta

Freshly grated parmesan, to taste

Pour olive oil in large pot. Add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and saute until soft and onions are clear.

Put whole tomatoes in a bowl and break apart with fork. Add to pot with vegetables. Stir, breaking tomatoes down.

Add tomato paste and seasoning. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning.

Add sliced cucuzza. Simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over angel hair pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Note: If you like the cucuzza firmer, cook for a shorter period of time.

On Facebook, reader Charles Pizzo noted: "In my family, they were fried like eggplant (circles, not sticks)."

And, Tonio Birbiglia, who offered detailed instructions for cooking the squash with smoked sausage like his "100% Sicilian nonna made it and taught me," also noted: "I really think it's a great replacement for eggplant in any eggplant recipe. It doesn't have the bitterness some eggplant have."

I'm agree with these two guys.

I love fried eggplant, but now that I've fried cucuzza, it just may be my go-to. I like to fry mine dark, so they are really crunchy, with the squash so mild and creamy inside.

Fried Cucuzza

Makes about 30 pieces

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 8-inch piece of cucuzza, peeled, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch wheels

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups dry bread crumbs, plus more as needed

Parmesan cheese, to taste

Marinara sauce for dipping, if desired

Fresh parsley, if desired

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip cucuzza slices in egg, then in crumbs, and place in hot oil.

Fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels set atop.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Serve immediately with a side of marinara sauce, if desired.

Here's a quick and easy marinara sauce, if you should need one.

*

"My great-grandmother used to grow cucuzzas and mirlitons in her back yard," said chef Michael Gulotta of Mopho. Ingredients change seasonally at the restaurant, but this recipe features the ones used this summer.

It relies on ingredients, such as palm sugar and fermented sausage, which can be found in international markets.

The Mopho Som Tam

Serves 6

For the vinaigrette

3 each Louisiana dried shrimp, lightly toasted in hot pan

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon shaved palm sugar

5 slices of Thai chili

1/2 cup tamarind water (1 tablespoon tamarind paste warmed with 2 cups of water and then strained)

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 limes, split

For the salad

4 cups of peeled, seeded and julienned cucuzza squash, reserved in chilled water

2 peaches, seeded and large diced

1/2 cup figs, quartered

1/2 cup cooked field peas, fresh if possible

12 each cherry tomatoes, halved and salted

1 cup blanched, sliced green beans

1/2 cup minced cilantro leaves and stems

2 links Vietnamese style sweet fermented sausage, sliced thinly lengthwise

1/2 cup toasted peanuts

In large mortar and pestle pound together dried shrimp, garlic, sliced chili and palm sugar until it forms a paste.

Gently work in fish sauce, tamarind water and juice of two limes.

Drain cucuzza squash from the chilled water and add it to mortar and pestle. Bruise squash lightly with pestle allowing the vinaigrette to penetrate the cells of squash. Pour bruised squash and vinaigrette into large bowl and toss in remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.

Note: The vinaigrette can be made in a blender, if no mortar and pestle is available. Once vinaigrette is made, mix it with drained cucuzza squash and let them marinate together for 10 minutes and then toss in the remaining ingredient.