Pumpkin in saor is a tasty side dish typical of Venetian cuisine, very simple to prepare. The pumpkin is sliced and baked (or fried), then flavored with a sweet and sour onion, raisin, and pine nut dressing. The term “saòr” in dialect means “flavor” and indicates this dressing, which, besides being very appetizing, originally had the purpose of preserving food longer, typically sardines, which are also prepared this way in my area. Here is my recipe, which I wanted to make with oven-baked pumpkin… try it, and you will see it is really easy but very tasty!
Here are more ideas with pumpkin:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Veneto
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 131.16 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 21.42 (g) of which sugars 12.31 (g)
- Proteins 2.79 (g)
- Fat 5.49 (g) of which saturated 0.53 (g)of which unsaturated 3.49 (g)
- Fibers 1.81 (g)
- Sodium 171.13 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 160 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz pumpkin (net of scraps)
- 1 onion
- 0.88 oz raisins
- 0.53 oz pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 leaf bay
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Tools
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Pan
- Bowl
Preparation
Place the raisins in a bowl and soak them in warm water.
After washing the pumpkin and removing the seeds, cut it into slices about 0.4 inches thick (or slightly thinner if you prefer). If you like, you can leave the skin or remove it… I used a Hokkaido pumpkin, so I didn’t peel it.
Arrange the slices on a baking tray lined with parchment paper (1), lightly salt them on the surface, and bake in a ventilated oven at 356°F for about 20 minutes, checking with a fork.
While the pumpkin is in the oven, peel the onion and cut it into not too thin rings. Sauté in a pan with a drizzle of oil, a finger of water, a pinch of salt, and a bay leaf (2).
When the onions are soft, add the vinegar mixed with the sugar, and the well-squeezed raisins from the soaking (3).
Stir for a few minutes, so the vinegar can evaporate, but without reducing the sauce too much. Finally, turn off the heat and add the pine nuts.
Take the pumpkin slices and place them on a platter. Sprinkle them with the freshly prepared “saor” and add a pinch of ground pepper.
If you like, you can add a hint of mint, basil, or parsley, even though herbs are not part of the classic recipe.
Pumpkin in saor is ready, I recommend letting it rest for a few hours before serving, so it becomes more flavorful.
You can also use a narrower container and create a couple of layers of pumpkin slices.
Advice and Notes
As an alternative to baking, pumpkin slices can be fried or sautéed in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a bit of water.
I used red onions, but white ones are just as good.
Sugar is optional, I chose to add it to make the sauce more caramelized.
You can prepare the dish even the day before and store it in the refrigerator in a closed container.
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