Roasted Red Kuri, Pancetta, & Honey

Red Kuri or Potimarron in French, is a tasty baking squash. They look like flame colored pumpkins with a toy top shape. If a chestnut, a sugarpie pumpkin, and a butternut squash fused, potimarron is what that union would taste like.  

 When multiple side dishes are served at the same time (ahem – Thanksgiving?) some need to be easier than others. Some need to be assembled the day before and baked off the day of – ah shoot – why not plan the whole menu that way?

 This is an easy side that's pretty on the plate. Pancetta wrapped anything is pretty on a plate. Slice the kuri in wedges, wrap in pancetta, stick in your favorite fresh herbs (sage? thyme?), drizzle with honey and roast. Red kuri skin is edible too. 

  Echo Valley Farm had a bumper crop this year. But if you don't have a farmer's market or local farmer in your vincinity check out Whole Foods Market, they carry kuri squash this season.

 

Roasted Red Kuri Squash (Potimarron), Pancetta & Honey

Serves 6

1 2-pound kuri squash (small kuri's make nice plate-size wedges)

6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta rounds 

7-8 sprigs of thyme or sage

2-3 tablespoons local honey 

1 tablespoons olive oil

fresh coarse cracked pepper

Sea salt & Maldon sea salt for finishing

Preheat oven to 425˚F

Slice small kuri squash with a long sharp serrated knife into 2-inch wedges. Try to keep wedge size the same so they cook at the same rate. Unravel pancetta slices and wrap each kuri wedge with one piece. Stick a sprig of fresh herb under wrapped slice. Lightly salt wedges with sea salt and twist coarse fresh cracked pepper over top.

In a shallow baking dish smear olive oil on the bottom to avoid kuri skin sticking. Place wedges side by side and drizzle generously with honey. Bake for 25 minutes at 425˚F until soft. Before serving baste wedges with pan jus – a mixture of pork fat, honey, olive oil and fresh herb. Season with a few flakes of Maldon sea salt before serving.

For more Kuri Recipes check out:

David Lebovitz: Roasted Potimarron 

La Tartine Gourmand: Red Kuri Squash Gratin

The Kitchn: Roasted Red Kuri Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

Just Hungry: Kuri Squash & Maple Pudding (Vegan)

Comments

[Michelle]

Love, love, love potimarron. Have begged every squash-growing farmer at our local markets to please start start them (as well as Italian zucca) next year.

[Discounts]

Gorgeous photos! What is Red Kuri, though. Is it squash?

[Nicole Gamble]

Great recipe ! I made it! It`s delicious!!! Thanks for sharing!

[Cheap Air Jordan]

Love, love, love potimarron. Have begged every squash-growing farmer at our local markets to please start start them (as well as Italian zucca) next year.

[Cheap Air Jordans]

Love, love, love potimarron. Have begged every squash-growing farmer at our local markets to please start start them (as well as Italian zucca) next year.