CUCUZZA SOUP - Italian Squash Soup

Cucuzza Soup

Olivia @ 2 years old

Freeze in 16 oz containers. 

            CUCUZZA SOUP

• Sauce: 1 - 32 oz Nonna Fina Sauce (Fresh from garden tomatoes) or Sauce recipe below. 
• 3 can of Tuttorosso whole tomatoes. Cut ends off and discard. Then cut the rest up into chunks.
• Cucuzza leaves (Tenerumi) 25 - 30. or Fresh baby Spinach leaves. 
• Chicken Broth 3 _13oz 
• 2 -3 long Cucuzzas 
• 5 Potatoes.  Peeled and cut into chunks
• 5 Carrots.  Peeled and cut into small chunks
•  1/2 cup grated cheese.
• 1 cup cut up into small chunks (pieces) of Romano cheese.                                                             (It's the grated cheese before you grate it.)
•  1 box of Cut Spaghetti. cooked Aldente and cooled it off
•  Olive Oil 
• Onions 1 medium chopped & garlic cloves 5 chopped                                                                           

Cucuzza and leaves of the plant

1.  Pick the leaves from the cucuzza vines.  Pick the small green ones.                                                          Approx. 45-60 leaves for 3 cucuzzas.  Must be fresh looking not old or yellow.                                 You can also include a little bit of the vine chopped. 

   Place a few on top of each other and roll them up.  

  Take scissors or knife and cut them into pieces.  Place them in a bowl for later.

Roll a bunch of leaves up 

cut them in 1/2

and in 1/2 again

2.  Defrost 2 - 32 oz. of Nonna Fina sauce (fresh tomatoes from garden) or use 

    Sauce Recipe below.  

  Place chopped onions in x-large sauce pot.  Pour in enough Olive Oil just to cover the onions

  When onions are translucent add chopped garlic. Sautee until lightly browned. 

  Add in 2 cans of Peeled Tomatoes - (ends cut off and chopped into chunks) 

   1 Tsp Salt, Pepper, garlic, 2 tsp sugar, 5 pcs chopped basil

  Stir and cook for 10 minutes. 

  Optional Can add 1 small can of Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies for a little zing. 

Chopped Onion and garlic

Cento San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes 

   

 

optional 

3.  Add 3 cans of Chicken Broth (low Sodium)      

      Sauce is not Thick.  It's a soup consistency. 

4. Add in the chopped Cucuzza Leaves.

Cook for approx. 5 minutes on medium. 

Now steps to prep the Cucuzza. 

5.  Cut the Cucuzza into smaller pieces (as long as a cucumber) so it will be easier to peel them.

 

    Peel cucuzza (just like you peel a cucumber) Peel until you see the white skin and not green.

 Most likely you need to peel the same side twice.    

                                  

                                                     

                                                                                                   
                                                                   

          

6.  Cut Length wise. Scoop or cut out center if there are seeds.  As above the seeds are hard and large and we don't use them. 

                           

  7.  Cut into Chunks. 1" x 1" thumb size chunks. Place into pot. 

                                       

                                                                               

       8.     Add in Chopped Potatoes and Carrots                                      

     

9.  Bring to boil and cook for 20 30 minutes.  Until Cucuzza are cooked. shown below.



Not cooked yet.



Cucuzza cooked when translucent

   

10.   1 box of cooked Cut Spaghetti or Italiano Pasta.  Place pasta in bowl and add soup. 

                                 

 

11. Add in the chunks of romano cheese to hot soup.
Ready to eat!!

I prefer to freeze soup without the pasta.  When pasta is in container it draws out the broth.

To keep soup more liquidity I cook pasta separately or have soup without pasta.