It is one of the four gastronomic pearls of the western Ligurian Riviera, together with the spiny artichoke, the beefsteak tomato, the purple asparagus: it is the Trumpet Zucchini with its characteristic curved umbrella-handle shape. Like the other pearls, it has found its natural habitat in the Albenga plain, thanks to its climate and its morphological conformation, and in these lands it has been cultivated since time immemorial. Its history dates back, in fact, to the conquest of the Americas and to the Ligurian sailors who, returning from the new world, brought with them the seeds of this characteristic plant. Its twisted shape or the other one that develops in length up to a meter if grown on a pergola instead of on the ground, have penalized its diffusion on the markets of large-scale distribution due to the consequent problems of not easy transportation but it is a real shame because this courgette is particularly appreciated for its sweet and tender pulp, for the thin and crunchy skin, and for the fact that it maintains its consistency even after cooking. But above all the Trombetta can be eaten raw releasing a pleasant fresh flavor in the mouth. For some time now however it has begun to make its appearance in the neighborhood markets.
From a nutritional point of view, the trumpet zucchini provides our body with plenty of potassium which contributes to muscle contraction, including that of the heart muscle, contributes to the regulation of the balance of fluids and minerals inside and outside the cells and helps maintain normal blood pressure by dampening the effects of sodium, and then phosphorus, vitamins A, C, E. In addition to this, it contains folic acid which exerts an effective digestive action while its peel contains precious minerals such as magnesium and zinc. It is so rooted in the Ligurian agricultural culture that the seeds are still selected locally.
There are many recipes based on trumpet zucchini, they accompany both meat and fish. For an easy recipe that enhances the freshness and fragrance of this zucchini, proceed by making small wheels of four zucchini with a mandolin, then throw them into a pan with boiling extra virgin olive oil in which a clove of garlic has been browned, until they are brown. Separately boil half a kilo of short pasta and when it is cooked al dente, toss it back into the pan with the zucchini, seasoning with salt and pepper. A sprinkling of parmesan or pecorino according to taste and a few basil leaves and it is ready to serve at the table.
If you want to try something even tastier, you can try the Torta di zucchine trombetta by chef Paolo Alberelli of the Doc restaurant in Borgio Verezzi, whose cooking philosophy has remained at its roots: a menu that changes depending on the market, but always with local products, whether vegetables or fish, with great exaltation of the flavors of the past.
The recipe for the savoury pie with trumpet courgettes, leek and ginger
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry:
100 g of butter;
200 g of sifted 00 flour;
50 gr. of water; a pinch of salt.
For the stuffing:
400 gr. of trumpet mushrooms, preferably small,
leek,
extra virgin olive oil,
its sale,
pepper,
marjoram,
nutmeg,
parmesan,
2 eggs,
fresh ginger.
Preparation
To prepare the shortcrust pastry, mix all the ingredients and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Then roll it out with the help of a rolling pin and line a round baking pan. Cut the courgettes finely as desired, add the sliced leek and cook in a pan for a few moments with extra virgin olive oil and leek, salt, pepper. Leave to cool slightly, add the parmesan, ginger, eggs and nutmeg. At this point, mix well and put everything in the round baking pan, previously lined with the shortcrust pastry. Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
