Walking through the Quartieri Spagnoli neighborhood of Naples on a Sunday morning is truly a unique experience. You’ll be enchanted by the sounds, colors and, most importantly, the aromas. Between the intoxicating scent of sauce left to simmer from the early hours of the morning and the intense fragrance of eggplant parmesan, you may be able to sense, at a slightly lower frequency, a vaguely sweet aroma, delicate yet persistent. It’s the scent of cocozza, the typical long Neapolitan squash used for a variety of recipes and the star of one of Naples’ most famous specialties: pasta e cocozza.
The flavor of poverty
A typical dish among Naples’ poor communities, it has survived to this day after being passed down by Neapolitan grandmothers everywhere. It may not be as famous as pizza or sfogliatelle, but it’s a mainstay of Naples’ multifaceted food culture. Pasta e cocozza, is one of those poor man’s dishes created to satisfy and satiate an entire family without breaking the bank. The well-known Neapolitan art of throwing things together and making do – but this time in the kitchen. It vaguely resembles a soup, and it’s easy to envision it steaming in a bowl, set in front of a family gathered around the table by the fireside. But despite its origins, this dish is still popular today. The reason is clear: it’s flavorful, filling, and you can never get enough. That’s why it’s always a staple at the dinner table every single fall.
“A’ cocozza”
The dish is made using the cocozza squash – known in English as a bottle gourd or calabash – which can withstand winter’s first harsh drops in temperature and stands out for its slightly elongated shape and yellow color. The pasta used in the original recipe is large tubetti, but it’s not uncommon to see it made with ’mmescata (a selection of mixed pastas). The most important thing is that the variety chosen is short and – preferably – hollow, so the squash can get right inside. The super simple recipe – both in its ingredients and preparation – is complete with parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of chili pepper to taste, perfect for balancing the sweet aftertaste of the squash.
Instructions
Preparing the dish is easy. First, sauté a few slightly crushed cloves of garlic and the chili pepper in a saucepan large enough to hold both the cocozza and the pasta. The proportions are 1 pound of squash (weighed whole) for every 5 ounces of pasta. After the garlic turns golden, remove it from the pan, then add in the squash, cut into cubes with the skin and seeds removed. Also add in the chopped parsley and as much water needed to cover everything. Once the water comes to a boil, cover the pot and let everything cook for another 15 minutes. Afterwards, mash some of the cocozza cubes (to create the proper creamy consistency) and leave some whole. After the right texture is achieved, add the pasta directly into the sauce. To prevent everything from drying out too much, it’s a good idea to always have a small pot of boiling water on hand: you can use it when necessary to dilute everything and ensure the ingredients are cooked properly (but be careful with how much you add – never more than one or two tablespoons, or the sauce will become too watery). Immersed in the sauce, the pasta will cook slower and should be stirred constantly to prevent it from clumping together. You can also boil the pasta on the side and toss it in the sauce once it’s finished cooking. There’s nothing wrong with that method, but the result will always be a bit different from the original. When making this dish, remember that haste is your worst enemy: a bit of patience is always necessary, especially around these parts.
