Italian Cucuzza Stew

I grew up with this recipe. My grandmother would sometimes cook hers without the ground meat and would add a handful of fettucini to the pot.
- Ready In:
- 1hr 5mins
- Serves:
- Units:
7
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ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 2 -3 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 1⁄2 cups carrots, sliced
- 4 -5 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
- 1 cucuzza, peeled and cubed
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 cups water
- salt & fresh ground pepper
directions
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet, drain and set aside.
- In a large dutch oven, add the olive oil and sauté the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic for about 4-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the ground beef to the pot along with the can of whole tomatoes, add the cucuzza, and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered for around 45 minutes or until the squash is cooked.
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@Ntune2food
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@Ntune2food
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"I grew up with this recipe. My grandmother would sometimes cook hers without the ground meat and would add a handful of fettucini to the pot."
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Based on the 5-star rating and reviews, I am making this now...easy recipe (only one pot!) and I wish you could smell the aroma in my kitchen! The only change I made was that I didn't have any thyme in the house; so I used an Italian Seasoning blend of dried herbs, added a few fresh basil leaves and cut the garlic down to 2 large cloves. I will serve it over fried polenta slices and garnish it with grated Parmesan. Yum, Yum, Yum!!!Reply
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Being new to NOLA, i wanted to try something new from a farm stand. the cucuzza caught my attention being only $2.00 for such a big squash. plenty for several recipe's. i made this stew with hot Italian sausage instead of hamburg.(i used a roll of jimmy dean & made small meatballs like chunks ) I don't like whole tomatoes, so i used diced tomatoes with green chilies. 1 green bell pepper diced, i added about 7 bay leaves, a little rosemary & oregano. simmered about 1hr 1/2 over low served it over penn pasta ,garnished with grated Romano cheese, a side slice of French bread. my husband said i could make it again :-) he kept saying how it's bursting with so many flavors in different directions( prob the closest i got him to Italy with any dish i have ever made him) most def will make this again....the leftover pasta i mixed in for the next day was even yummier as it all had time to season...p.s while the stew was simmering, i made the chocolate cucuzza cake ..... thanks2Reply
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Being new to NOLA, i wanted to try something new from a farm stand. the cucuzza caught my attention being only $2.00 for such a big squash. plenty for several recipe's. i made this stew with hot Italian sausage instead of hamburg.(i used a roll of jimmy dean and made small meatballs like chunks ) I don't like whole tomatoes, so i used diced tomatoes with green chilies. 1 green bell pepper diced, i added about 7 bay leaves, a little rosemary and oregano. simmered about 1hr 1/2 over low served it over penn pasta ,garnished with grated Romano cheese, a side slice of French bread. my husband said i could make it again :-) he kept saying how it's bursting with so many flavors in different directions( prob the closest i got him to Italy with any dish i have ever made him) most def will make this again....the leftover pasta i mixed in for the next day was even yummier as it all had time to season...p.s while the stew was simmering, i made the chocolate cucuzza cake ..... thanksReply
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