At the Table of La Fortezza: Slow-Smoked Pumpkin with Toasted Hazelnuts and Pecorino

I wanted to share one of my favorite fall recipes from At the Table of La Fortezza. I make pizza all the time in our forno, which is our outdoor pizza oven at La Fortezza. I love building the fire. One great thing about the oven is that as the fire dies to a roasting temperature, I can cook several things at once. The oven holds the warmth for a good amount of time, and imparts a slightly smoked flavor. You can create the same effect at home using a smoker, like the Green Egg. Or you can use firewood in your grill to achieve a smoked effect. With this process you will need to mind the fire and keep adding firewood. Keep the grill covered to achieve the smoky flavor. 

When you toast the hazelnuts, the skins will become blistered and loosen. You can either leave them on, or remove the skins easily with your hands once they have cooled, if you don’t like the slightly bitter taste. Even though they are harvested in the fall, pumpkins will keep for months before you cook or bake them. Like watermelon, which we also smoke, pumpkins have a thick, hard rind that gives them a shelf life of 3 to 6 months; just keep them at room temperature in a cool, dark, dry place. This dish has become a regular on our Thanksgiving table. For best results with this recipe, use an outdoor fire source. This pumpkin blackens on the outside and is deliciously smoky and sweet on the inside.

Slow-Smoked Pumpkin with Toasted Hazelnuts and Pecorino

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hazelnuts 

• 1 (4-pound) roasting pumpkin (a Cinderella variety works well) 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive, plus 1/4  cup for oiling the pumpkin

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup shredded pecorino cheese

Preparation:

• Heat a grill, smoker, Green Egg, or forno to 300°F and preheat the oven to 375°F

• Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Watch carefully so they do not burn. Let them cool, rub off the skins if desired, then chop into pieces and set aside

• Oil the pumpkin on all sides with 1/4 cup oil. Place directly on the grill, or in a cast-iron skillet if using a forno, and roast on low heat for at least 3 to 4 hours, until it is blackened and has almost col-lapsed. Note: You may need to add logs to the fire to keep the temperature at 300°F throughout the process

• Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out and discard the seeds, and scrape the flesh into a food proces-sor fitted with a metal blade. Add the salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and pulse until smooth

• Transfer the pumpkin puree to a serving bowl and top with shredded pecorino and toasted hazel-nuts. Serve warm.