P
Italian · Mantova
Farinata di Zucca con Amaretti e Mostarda Lombarda
A baked pumpkin porridge-cake from the Mantova area — slow-cooked mashed winter squash mixed with crumbled amaretti, mostarda di Mantova (candied fruit in mustard syrup) and Grana Padano, then baked in a terracotta dish until set and golden. This sweet-savoury side is quintessentially Lombard in its use of the agrodolce (sweet-sour) register.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
1 kg
Mantovana or Butternut squash
unpeeled weight; halved and deseeded
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
amaretti biscuits
crumbled coarsely
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
mostarda di Mantova
candied fruit drained and finely chopped; or candied quince with a drop of mustard oil
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 g
Grana Padano
finely grated
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
freshly grated nutmeg
Your own market
30 g
unsalted butter
for greasing the dish; plus a little extra for the edges
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Heat the oven to 180 °C. Place the squash halves cut-side down on a lined baking tray and roast until completely tender — approximately 40 minutes. The flesh yields without resistance when pressed through the skin and the cut edges are visibly caramelised and dry.
2
Scoop the flesh from the skin and pass it through a mouli or mash it thoroughly to a smooth, dry purée. Spread it across the tray for a few minutes to allow any remaining steam to escape. The purée should hold its shape on a spoon without slumping.
3
Transfer the purée to a bowl. Fold in the crumbled amaretti, Grana Padano and nutmeg. Add the mostarda last, folding it through gently so that the pieces remain distributed but do not break down entirely. Taste: the mustard heat must be detectable but not dominant — this is where the dish lives or dies, and a heavy hand with the mostarda will unbalance every other element.
4
Grease a terracotta baking dish generously with butter, ensuring the sides are well coated. Pour in the squash mixture and smooth the surface. Transfer to the 180 °C oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes. The top is lightly and evenly golden, and the centre no longer wobbles when the dish is moved.
5
Remove from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature before serving. The texture firms as it cools and the agrodolce flavours settle and integrate. The surface should feel set and dry to a light touch at the centre.
From the canon — Agrodolce (sweet-sour) is one of the most distinctive Italian flavour principles, found from the Venetian sarde in saor to the Sicilian caponata, from the Ro… Agrodolce — Sweet-Sour Flavour Technique →
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Mantovana squash from a Lombard grower, aged amaretti di Saronno, house-made mostarda di Mantova with whole candied quince and Colman's mustard oil, Grana Padano Riserva aged over 20 months.
02
Estate — Butternut squash of proven density, good commercial amaretti with a pronounced bitter-almond character, artisan mostarda di Cremona (finely chopped), Grana Padano standard.
03
Market — Any dry, dense winter squash variety, standard amaretti, mostarda sourced from an Italian deli, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano as a Grana substitute.
04
House — Butternut squash widely available, supermarket amaretti, finely chopped candied quince with a drop of mustard oil as a mostarda substitute, any well-aged hard Grana-style cheese.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. Roasted squash flesh yields without resistance when pressed through the skin.
◇Sight. The mashed purée holds its shape on a spoon without slumping — the moisture has been driven off sufficiently.
◇Taste. The assembled mixture registers sweet, bitter, earthy and mustardy in sequence; no single note dominates.
◇Sight. After baking, the surface is lightly and evenly golden and the centre does not wobble when the dish is moved.
◇Touch. At room temperature, the centre feels set and dry — not tacky — under a light fingertip.
◇Where it lives or dies. The mostarda must be folded with restraint — its mustard heat should register as a background note; once overdone it cannot be corrected and the sweet-savoury balance that defines the dish is lost.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Sparkling wine
From British Columbia
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Without alcohol
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The whole pairingPillar VII
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