Green Squash with Hazelnuts (in Air Fryer).
The choice of the title for this recipe was (but you already know, it often happens to me!) a struggle. I think I need a recipe title consultant! Who volunteers? 😃
If you’re wondering – yes, I know you’re wondering 😁 – the other potential titles were: air-fried green squash, delica squash with hazelnuts, squash with aromatic herbs and hazelnuts, aromatic squash in air fryer, Valentina’s recipe.
All correct titles, but all incomplete. The most suitable would have been (but it was really too long!): green squash with aromatic herbs and hazelnuts cooked in an air fryer, Valentina’s recipe.
Mentioning Valentina in the title would have been nice, but aside from the title length, it would have been limiting, even reductive, as the simple mention, a single name, a single word, would not have matched the flood of words that both she and I have always poured into our recipe introductions.
Yes, she also has (had) a blog (Un dolce al giorno) that’s very nice, with great recipes, all with delicious long introductions. It’s been on standby for a while (which I’ve always regretted) and I think (despite my repeated attempts to persuade her) it will remain so for a while longer. Although, never say never, you never know what fate may bring, I always hope that one day Valentina will send me a nice message like “hey, guess what, I’ve written a new recipe!” 🤞😊
Anyway, and however it will be, today I want to dedicate this introduction to her and her blog, which might seem like a scrambled introduction to you, but for me, it has its own reason, and besides… as Valentina always told me eight years ago when we were at the dawn of our blogs: anyone who doesn’t want to read can scroll and go directly to the recipe! 🤭 (so, you decide, I’ll just keep writing!).
And indeed, I dedicate this entire recipe of my green squash with hazelnuts to her, as it is hers.
She unknowingly passed it to me during one of our long chat conversations – those long chats filled with a flood of words, with mutual responses as long only the two of us know how to make them – the main topic being the pros and cons of air fryers, exchanging photos and tips on how to cook a delicious delica squash with lots of aromatic herbs and lots of nutmeg + hazelnuts (the unexpected ingredient) cooked in her (Valentina’s) new air fryer, despite an ugly, poorly made, and incomprehensible instruction manual.
(Ad: If you need consultation on how to write an instruction manual, just ask me, because I’m well-versed in that, unlike with recipe titles! 🤔).
What was I saying? Oh yes, later, when I went grocery shopping, of course, I bought a delica squash. The supermarket labeled it as green squash, raising all the doubts in the world about pumpkin varieties and names that seem the same to look at, but maybe aren’t.
Legitimate doubts, because I don’t really know if it’s just a matter of name (green=delica always and anyway?) or if it’s just a matter of skin color. Boh! Luckily, even Valentina wasn’t entirely sure when I asked her, which reassured me quite a bit, because being a food blogger and having doubts about pumpkin names… well… mmm… hmm… is it important? …do we care? 🎃
Well, what matters to me is that this squash, whatever its name, cooked like this, with hazelnuts like this, and with aromatic herbs like this, not forgetting the nutmeg, is a great recipe, which in anticipation of Valentina’s return on these screens… I felt like sharing.
In the meantime, for other evocative tales of a Valentina who writes and photographs like a god, take a tour in this (other) magical place of hers, it’s worth it.
Epilogue: I now imagine my colleagues from the Light and Tasty column like this: a little puzzled, a little smiling, a little resigned, wondering: but what does all this introduction have to do with the topic “the colors of November fruits and vegetables”??? 😄
Enjoy!
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For more pumpkin ideas! 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz delica squash (green)
- to taste mixed aromatic herbs (rosemary, sage, parsley, oregano, nutmeg, basil)
- to taste nutmeg
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 10 toasted hazelnuts
Tools
- Air Fryer Ariete Airy Fryer Mini
How to Proceed
Wash the squash well and dry it.
Cut the squash into cubes, or slices, without peeling it.
👉 I usually cut it into slices because if they’re thin, they cook faster, which is an advantage. But if you’re a fan of this variety’s squash’s creamy texture, cube cuts make its pulp more enjoyable (to my taste). Naturally, the cooking time should be, albeit slightly, adjusted to the size of the pieces or the thickness of the slices.
Season the slices, or pieces, of squash with the oil and aromatic herbs, plus a nice grating of nutmeg.
👉 The best way to season them is (a tip Valentina gave me) to put the squash pieces in a bowl, pour oil, aromatic herbs, and nutmeg, and mix with hands. This way, the oil distributes well on all slices (but it messes up your hands).
As documented by the following photos, the first time I made this recipe, I didn’t follow Valentina’s suggestion (because I was in a hurry to proceed and didn’t want to mess up my hands 🤭😅). I’d say both methods are fine, you decide which one to use.
1. I put the slices in the air fryer’s basket (on the grill) and brushed oil on the slices.
2. I added the aromatic herbs and a generous grating of nutmeg, then did a first cooking round for 10 minutes at 356°F.
👉 You can be generous with the aromatic herbs. They can be used fresh or dried.
After this first cooking round, the squash slices on top slightly browned while those underneath remained raw, so I stirred the slices and brushed oil on those on the surface.
3. I did a second round of cooking for another 10 minutes, still at 356°F.
After this second 10-minute step, the squash was cooked.
I plated the slices, chopped the hazelnuts, and sprinkled them over the squash as a topping (cover photo).
Instead, when I redid the recipe the second time, I proceeded with two substantial differences:
1. I cut the squash into thicker pieces (like Valentina does), and in this case, I set the temperature to 374°F and extended the cooking by 4-5 minutes;
2. I added the hazelnuts to this second step of cooking.
I admit I was a bit worried that the hazelnuts would toast too much, but instead, Valentina was right, it didn’t happen. And they were delicious.
The only note I would make for this second version is that smaller hazelnut pieces pass through the grill holes and end up at the bottom of the basket.
I have three possible solutions to solve this:
1. Use whole hazelnuts (but I prefer them chopped).
2. Use parchment paper or paper baskets suitable for air fryers. I’ve recently started using them, and I highly recommend them because they’re very useful.
3. Or… at the end of cooking, lift the grill, collect all the hazelnuts and aromatic herbs that fell with a spatula, and sprinkle them on the squash with a bold air whispering: “Ahhh you wanted to escape, huh?” 🤪
The squash+hazelnuts combination is fabulous, both in flavor and in the soft-crunchy contrast. And it is also valid for oven cooking.
The green squash with hazelnuts I cooked today was spectacular, I really enjoyed eating it!
Salt-Free Tips
Salt-free tips, as you know, are fundamental in this blog.
Today’s Tip: the air fryer, I discovered with use, is very useful for those cooking without salt, as vegetables retain all their flavor. I repeat: this green squash with hazelnuts today was spectacular, I really enjoyed eating it!
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
– Gradually reduce salt, the palate needs to get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
– Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
– Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
– Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, nuts…
– Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
– Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
– Prefer fresh foods.
– Avoid water cooking, prefer methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
– Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
– Occasionally allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for morale and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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The Light and Tasty recipes of this week:
And here are the “November color” recipes from my colleagues:
Carla Emilia: Romanesco Cabbage Soup with Potatoes and Asiago
Daniela: Hasselback Apples with Oat Crumble
Elena: Belgian Endive and Apple Gratin
Franca: Pistachio and Pomegranate Chops
Milena: Light Persimmon and Pomegranate Dessert
Serena: Persimmon Chocolate Pudding
