[1] Acorn squash, one of the two most-available winter squash varieties for the table (photo © Kim Daniels | Unsplash).

[2] Tied for first place: butternut squash (photo © Good Eggs).

It’s a little bit of a chore to scrape the seeds out of an acorn, butternut or other winter squash*.

Here’s a tip: Use an ice cream scoop!

Another tip: Before you begin to slice the squash, place it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. It will be a lot easier to peel, seed and cut.
 
 
ROASTING THE SEEDS

Some people clean the seeds to roast. We don’t have an easy way to do that yet, but here’s a thought:

You don’t have to remove every last bit of string and flesh pumpkin from the seeds.

 
You can also use sweet seasonings, trading oil and salt for maple syrup and brown sugar, plus optional fall spices: allspice, cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg. A pinch of salt is a good addition.

We use the roasted seeds as a general garnish, in grains and salads, and in yogurt. Here are:

> 20 Uses For Roasted Winter Squash Seeds, Including Pumpkin

 
 
> HOW TO CUT & PEEL WINTER SQUASH
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF ACORN SQUASH

________________

*You can tell winter squash from its thick, hard exterior. You need force in order to slice into it. Acorn, butternut, delicata, hubbard, pumpkin, spaghetti squash and others are winter squash. Summer squash has a thin peel that can be eaten. Yellow squash and zucchini are examples.

[1] A seasonal carbonara, with bacon and apples. The recipe is below (photos #1 and #2 © Delallo).

[2] If you can’t find mezzi rigatoni locally, head to DeLallo’s online store.

[3] Mezzi rigatoni close up (photo © J. Eltovski | Morguefile).

[4] This delicious bacon is from Butcherbox, a quality meat subscription service with beef, pork and poultry.

[5] The recipe uses a Granny Smith apple. You can substitute Cortland (photo © Lisa Solonynko | Morguefile).

[6] Homemade rigatoni mezzi rigatoni made with the extruder attachment on a Kitchen Aid mixer. Here’s the recipe from The Baker Chick (photo © The Baker Chick).

October is National Pasta Month. We have a fall-focused recipe using mezzi* rigatoni, or half-size rigatoni (photo #2), from Delallo.

The recipe for Pasta Carbonara With Bacon & Apples is below, after a discussion of rigatoni—a cut that many non-cooks can confuse with penne.
 
 
WHAT ARE RIGATONI?

Rigatoni (righ-gah-TOE-knee) are tube-shaped ridged pasta (see the ridges close up in photo #3).

Ridged pasta, or pasta rigate (rih-GAH-tay) in Italian, is a style that developed during the Industrial Revolution. New mechanization enabled more sophisticated machine shapes, made with extruders.

While some pre-industrial artisans labored to make ridged pasta, the effort required was not likely cost-effective.

But voilà: Bring on the machinery and bronze dies to extrude pasta, and you’ve got all the ridged pastas (and other shapes) one can desire.

Ridged pasta was an immediate hit. It enabled chunky meat and vegetable sauces to better cling to the surface, lodging in the grooves. That was a bonus for the tubular pastas, which allow the sauce to be inside and outside.

According to Barilla and The Pasta Project, rigatoni were created in Rome in 1930.

While this may seem long ago to some, it is relatively recent given that pasta has been made in Italy since the 8th century (the history of pasta).”

Rigatoni became a mainstay in Lazio (the province of which Rome is the capital). Of note is the classic Roman dish La Pagliata (also called Pajata), made with the intestines of an unweaned calf (one only fed on its mother’s milk. Here’s more about it.

Rigatoni traveled to southern Italy, where they became a favorite combined with local ingredients.
 
 
Rigatoni Vs. Penne

Rigatoni are are larger than penne and ziti. They are made in varying lengths and diameters, based on the manufacturer.

Typical rigatoni are approximately 1-1/2 inches in length and 1/2 inch in diameter. Mezzi Rigatoni are approximately 5/8 inch in length with a diameter of 1/2 inch.

The differences between rigatoni and penne:

 
The word rigatoni comes from the Italian word rigato, meaning ridged or striped (which should come as no surprise at this point in this article).

Other rigate pasta include:

 
And now, the recipe!
 

RECIPE: RIGATONI CARBONARA WITH BACON & APPLES

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BEAT the eggs and cheese together in a large serving bowl. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. HEAT the olive oil and garlic in large saucepan. Once the garlic begins to turn golden, remove it from the oil and discard. Add the bacon to the pan and sauté until it becomes golden brown, about 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. ADD the onion to the pan and cook until it begins to soften, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the apple to the pan. Cool together with the onions for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. ADD the bacon back to the pan and season with chili pepper to taste. Meanwhile…

5. BRING 5 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instruction. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water to finish the sauce.

6. COMBINE the hot pasta with the apple mixture and oil in the serving bowl with the eggs and cheese. Toss to coat and to gently cook the eggs with the heat of the pasta. Once combined…

7. ADD about 1/4 cup of the reserved hot pasta water and toss. If the pasta appears too dry, add another splash of pasta water. Serve immediately sprinkled with additional cheese.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CARBONARA
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PASTA
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PASTA

*Mezzi rigatoni, often misspelled in the U.S. as mezze rigatoni. Both word variations mean “half,” but rigatoni is a masculine noun and takes the masculine plural adjective, mezzi. Mezze would modify a feminine noun.

†Manicotti is the Italian-American version of cannelloni. Manicotti tubes are ridged, larger and slightly thicker; cannelloni tubes are smooth, a bit smaller and slightly thinner.
 
  

There’s something different in maple syrup, and so special that it keeps selling out.

It’s Runamok Maple’s Sparkling Syrup, flush with edible gold (photo #1).

Runamok is an artisan producer of specialty maple syrup; not only classic varieties, but exciting flavored ones.

Not just for breakfast, these syrups are special garnishes or mixed ins for cocktails, desserts, marinades, sauces and more.

While today’s focus is on the sparkly syrup, there are many other options that make great gifting.

They’ll also open your eyes to what great maple syrup tastes like. It’s not your mother’s supermarket brand.

There’s more about the line .
 
 
RUNAMOK SPARKLE SYRUP: SOLD OUT

The first batch of Sparkle Syrup sold out in minutes. The company is planning another “sparkle harvest” in mid October.

“Pre-order today to secure your bottles of joy!” says Runamok.

Why Sparkle Syrup?

“Sparkle Syrup was created with one sole purpose: to make you smile,” Runamok notes.

“Life has been very, very serious lately; it is safe to say that 2020 has left no one unscathed.

“And while we can’t fix the big stuff, we can offer this little bit of whimsy to help make everyone smile.”
 
 
THE FIRST SPARKLING MAPLE SYRUP

The shimmer comes from food-safe pearlescent mica, the kind that’s used to add glitter to chocolates, cookies and desserts.

It’s completely edible and adds no additional flavor to the syrup. It’s purely an aesthetic innovation.

Just like a snow globe, the sparkles do settle after time. You just need to turn the bottle upside down and shake before pouring.

This syrup innovation tastes like Runamok’s traditional (rich and excellent!) maple syrups, but it’s full of sparkly gold glitter, sure to delight.

The glitter doesn’t alter the flavor or the texture, just the eye appeal and food fun.

And yes, it keeps selling out so if you want some for yourself and for gifts:

Put yourself on the waitlist today!

You may not be able to buy happiness, but you can buy an 8.45 fluid ounce bottle of Sparkly Syrup for $16.95, and feel happy every time you use it..
 
 
MORE RUNAMOK MAPLE SYRUPS

Beyond Sparkle, Runamok makes other Limited Edition syrups, infused with flavors: Cocoa Bean Infused, Holiday Spice Infused, Strawberry Rose Infused, even a forthcoming new Festivus Infused for the holidays (in honor of the Costanza family?)

That’s in addition to year-round bottles of Cardamom Infused, Cinnamon + Vanilla Infused, Coffee Infused, Elderberry Infused, Ginger Infused, Hibiscus Infused, Jasmine Tea Infused, Makrut Lime Infused and Smoked Chili Pepper Infused.

Exhausted yet? Don’t be. These syrups are worth your attention. On the website, you’ll see how each of them can be paired to add glorious flavors to food and drink.

How to choose? Staff favorites include Coffee Infused Maple Syrup, Makrut Lime-leaf Infused Maple Syrup, Smoked Chili Pepper Infused Maple Syrup and the non-infused Whiskey Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup.
 
Don’t want flavored syrup?

Try the non-infused classics: Bourbon Barrel Aged, Rum Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup, Smoked With Pecan Wood, the aforementioned Whiskey Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup and their signature maple syrup, Sugarmaker’s Cut.
 

WAYS TO USE MAPLE SYRUP

A good maple syrup deserves much more play than the conventional French toast, pancakes and waffles. Try it with;:

 
Need sweetness in whatever you’re eating?

Use maple syrup, America’s indigenous sweetener.
 
 
> MAPLE SYRUP HISTORY <
 

[1] Runamok Sparkle Syrup, right spoon, compared to regular maple syrup, left spoon (all photos © Runamok Maple).

[2] Turn everyday apple slices into a fun snack.

[3] Top your favorite dessert, from rice pudding to ice cream to un-iced loaf cakes: carrot cake, pound cake, zucchini bread…even angel food cake.

[4] Runamok’s Sparkle Syrup can sweeten and sparkle iced tea, but Runamok flavored syrups like Makrut Lime, above, can add an extra flash on the palate.

[5] Be sure to check out Runamok’s 16 syrups and limited editions. Here, Cocoa Bean Infused Maple Syrup.

[6] A holiday gift for your favorite foodie.

Based in Fairfax, Vermont, Runamok Maple is led by husband and wife team Eric and Laura Sorkin, who have dedicated themselves to providing their customers with innovative, high-quality maple syrups.

The brand continues to prove that maple syrup is a must-have pantry item and can be used for anything from meat marinades to cocktails to your favorite dessert.

Why Runamok? The name comes from the wild and unpredictable nature of making maple syrup. It is one of the last wild-harvested products, which inherently makes things very chaotic.

Weather, storms, animals, equipment, etc. all play into the craziness of sugaring. Runamok is a fun name to convey the many unpredictable things that can happen in the course of a year.