Roasted Zucca In Agrodolce
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Zucca in agrodolce is a Sicilian sweet and sour squash dish with a deeply rich history and even richer flavor. This rendition combines a beautiful agrodolce sauce with butternut squash and other root vegetables to create a showstopping dish. You can use any leftover beets to make this Šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian pink soup).
Traditionally, this dish consists of squash slices that are pan-fried, then marinated overnight and served at room temperature.
My rendition strays a little from tradition, incorporating influences from my Middle Eastern + American background. We start with roasted root vegetables on a bed of yogurt and feta with fresh herbs, then top it all with a sweet and sour sauce.
🥄 Why This Recipe Works
- This zucca in agrodolce recipe is hearty enough to enjoy as an entree but also makes a great side dish or appetizer!
- The star of this showstopping dish is the roasted vegetables, making it a great dish for when you’re eating clean.
- This recipe is gluten-free & vegetarian-friendly!
Estimated Cost of This Recipe ≈ $6 Per Serving
I calculate the total cost of each recipe based on the estimated cost of ingredients at average U.S. grocery prices, using only the portion needed for the recipe — not the full cost of entire packages. Keep in mind that prices can vary depending on location, season, brand, and a fluctuating economy.
My goal with these money-saving meal recipes is to make delicious & nutritious home-cooked meals feel more accessible, even during tough times. I believe that good food should bring comfort, joy, and dignity to our lives — no matter the size of our budget.
🥗 History & Origins of This Zucca in Agrodolce
Zucca in agrodolce is a traditional Italian dish with deep roots in Sicilian and Venetian cuisine. The term “zucca” roughly translates to “pumpkin” or “squash”, and “agrodolce” (from “agro”, meaning sour, and “dolce”, meaning sweet) refers to a balanced sweet and sour sauce tangy flavor profile that dates back to ancient times.
Sweet and sour sauces in Mediterranean cuisine can be traced back to ancient Roman times. They were typically made from vinegar, honey, and fruit. These flavors were later refined during the Arab rule over Sicily during the 9th-11th centuries.
A few centuries later, when pumpkins were introduced to Europe from the Americas, zucca in agrodolce became a popular seasonal dish to look forward to in the autumn during harvest time.
My agrodolce sauce is made with pomegranate molasses, a staple in any Middle Eastern kitchen. In addition to butternut squash, I use other root vegetables typical of North American cuisine, such as red onion, fennel, and beets. The yogurt & feta spread is also inspired by my Middle Eastern roots, as are the harissa & pomegranate seeds.
All in all, this dish is a celebration of the history of Italian cuisine as well as an ode to my own multicultural background.
🛒 What You Need To Make This Recipe
Sauce Ingredients
📝 Recipe Modifications And Substitutions
- Butternut squash: You can also use pumpkin or acorn squash
- Beets: I use both golden beets and regular beets.
- Onion: I like to use red onion but you could use yellow or white onions as well.
- Fennel: Totally optional, but provides great contrast in terms of texture, flavor, and color.
- Rosemary: You can also use thyme, fennel seeds, or caraway seeds.
- Chives: Fresh dill would be great too!
- Feta: Goat cheese or halloumi would make good alternatives.
- Pomegranate molasses: Pomegranate molasses is a thick, tart syrup used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar would be good alternatives, though it may take a few minutes longer for the sauce to thicken.
- Craisins: Raisins or dried cherries would work too.
- Seeds: I use pepitas, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. You can experiment with others like flax seeds, chia seeds, etc.
- Harissa & Aleppo pepper: Totally optional. You can omit if you don’t want any spice, or substitute with crushed red pepper. You can buy pre-made harissa, or make your own harissa substitute!
- Pomegranate seeds: Or more craisins.
- Parsley: Curly leaf or Italian parsley both work. You could also garnish with fresh dill, mint, more chives, or the green fennel fronds.
*See above image or recipe card for full list of ingredients.
🥣 Recommended Equipment
To make zucca in agrodolce, you will need a sheet pan, a couple large mixing bowls, and a small saucepan. I also recommend a cooking spatula for flipping the veggies. You’ll want a large plate to serve it on, such as this wooden platter.
🥕 How To Make Zucca In Agrodolce
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 1: Add cubed butternut squash, golden beets (if using), and thinly sliced fennel to a large bowl and toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil. In a separate bowl, toss red beets with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Thinly slice red onion, and gently rub with 1 Tbsp olive oil, taking care to keep the layers intact as best as you can.
Pro Tip: I separate the red beets from the rest of the ingredients in an effort to prevent them from staining the other veggies. If you’re not concerned about that, you can toss them all in the same bowl, but I would still do the onions separately so they don’t fall apart.
Step 2: Add veggies to sheet pan, then season with salt, pepper, and freshly chopped rosemary. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 400°F, then flip the veggies and roast for another 15-25 minutes.
Pro Tip: I recommend putting the empty sheet pan in the oven while it preheats. That way, when you add the veggies to the tray, they get a bit of a head start on the caramelization process.
Step 3: While the veggies are roasting, add pomegranate molasses, honey, seeds, craisins, and harissa powder to a small saucepan. Stir and allow it to cook over lowest possible heat for 5-10 minutes, or until partially reduced and saucey.
Pro Tip: This agrodolce sauce can easily burn if left unattended too long or cooked over heat that’s too high. It will thicken a bit once it’s cooled. If you’re worried about overcooking it, I’d stick to 5-7 minutes, then allow it some time to cool and see if it reaches the desired consistency.
Step 4: Combine Greek yogurt, chopped chives, minced garlic, and crumbled feta cheese in a bowl, then spread as a base on a large plate.
Step 5: Once veggies have finished roasting, remove from the oven and lay them on the yogurt base.
Step 6: Top with a healthy drizzle of agrodolce sauce, more seeds and crumbled feta, chopped parsley, Aleppo pepper, and pomegranate seeds.
Pro Tip: You’ll have enough of the agrodolce sauce to reserve some to serve on the side.
Want more recipes like this zucca in agrodolce? There are many Sicilian dishes that incorporate agrodolce with a variety of vegetables such as caponata, pollo agrodolce, and cipolline in agrodolce.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Zucca in agrodolce makes a great side dish alongside this air fryer duck breast with cherry sauce. If enjoying it as a main dish, you can make these super easy and delicious air fryer parsnip chips to serve on the side (or even on top!)
You can serve it as part of a Mediterranean charcuterie board as well!
If you love cooking with seasonal vegetables, you might like this roasted cauliflower and pumpkin soup, cauliflower potato leek soup, and this vegan 10 vegetable soup recipe.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
In English, “zucca in agrodolce” roughly translates to “pumpkin (or squash) in sweet and sour sauce”.
It’s actually typically served at room temperature or slightly warm. This allows the sweet and sour flavors to really come through without being muted by heat. It can be eaten cold, but it’s generally best to allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Zucca in agrodolce can be enjoyed straight out of the oven while it’s hot, but it’s also great at room temperature or even cold!
- Don’t be tempted to flip the veggies more than once. We want them to sit long enough to get a nice caramelization on each side.
- If you have leftovers, I recommend storing the vegetables and sauces in separate airtight containers. Refrigerate up to 3 days.
- You can reheat the vegetable portion of this dish in an air fryer at 375°F for 3-5 minutes, or in the oven at 375°F for 5-10 minutes.
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Roasted Zucca In Agrodolce
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash (diced)
- 1 small golden beet
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 1 small red beet
- 1 small red onion
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp Himilyan pink salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
Sauce & Topping Ingredients
- ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp pepitas
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sunflower seeds
- 1 Tbsp craisins
- ½ tsp harissa
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh chives (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Add cubed butternut squash, golden beets (if using), and thinly sliced fennel to a large bowl and toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil. In a separate bowl, toss red beets with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Thinly slice red onion, and gently rub with 1 Tbsp olive oil, taking care to keep the layers intact as best as you can.
- Add veggies to sheet pan, then season with salt, pepper, and freshly chopped rosemary. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 400°F, then flip the veggies and roast for another 15-25 minutes.
- While the veggies are roasting, add pomegranate molasses, honey, seeds, craisins, and harissa powder to a small saucepan. Stir and allow it to cook over lowest possible heat for 5-10 minutes, or until partially reduced and saucey.
- Combine Greek yogurt, chopped chives, minced garlic, and crumbled feta cheese in a bowl, then spread as a base on a large plate.
- Once veggies have finished roasting, remove from the oven and lay them on the yogurt base.
- Top with a healthy drizzle of agrodolce sauce, more seeds and crumbled feta, chopped parsley, Aleppo pepper, and pomegranate seeds.
Notes
- I separate the red beets from the rest of the ingredients in an effort to prevent them from staining the other veggies. If you’re not concerned about that, you can toss them all in the same bowl, but I would still do the onions separately so they don’t fall apart.
- I recommend putting the empty sheet pan in the oven while it preheats. That way, when you add the veggies to the tray they get a bit of a head start on the caramelization process.
- This agrodolce sauce can easily burn if left unattended too long or cooked over heat that’s too high. It will thicken a bit once it’s cooled. If you’re worried about overcooking it, I’d stick to 5-7 minutes, then allow it some time to cool and see if it reaches the desired consistency.
- You’ll have enough of the agrodolce sauce to reserve some to serve on the side.
- Zucca in agrodolce can be enjoyed straight out of the oven while it’s hot, but it’s also great at room temperature or even cold!
- Don’t be tempted to flip the veggies more than once. We want them to sit long enough to get a nice caramelization on each side.
- If you have leftovers, I recommend storing the vegetables and sauces in separate airtight containers. Refrigerate up to 3 days.
- You can reheat the vegetable portion of this dish in an air fryer at 375°F for 3-5 minutes, or in the oven at 375°F for 5-10 minutes.
Yum! Can’t wait to try this!