Nick Risidi, of Amici Ristorante in East Parade, Keighley, revisits his Italian roots for another taste of Mediterranean.

I HATE to be the one to say it, but it seems like summer might finally be over. While we can kiss goodbye to hot, sunny days and evening barbecues, all is not lost!

One of the greatest things about autumn is the change in ingredients on offer, and all the wonderful seasonal dishes that come with it.

Restaurants are changing their menus and coffee shops are rolling out their seasonal drinks, but there are ways for you to change what you eat at home, to make the most of the season's most delicious ingredients.

One of the foods that is undoubtedly synonymous with the season of autumn is the pumpkin.

In the USA, the pumpkin plays a huge part in their Thanksgiving celebrations, with Americans serving up delicious pumpkin pies.

Another traditional use for the pumpkin is on Halloween, with the vegetables being carved to make jack o’ lanterns.

One of the most popular drinks of the season, in the US and in the UK, is Starbucks’ pumpkin spiced latte, a flavour which instantly makes you think of autumn.

Some say that the bright orange squash is so prominently featured during the season of autumn because it is almost like agriculture’s last reminder of summer sunshine before we head into the winter months.

Others think that its beautiful colour complements the leaves' changing colour, but those who are more practical would simply argue that we eat a lot of pumpkin around this time of year because now is when the pumpkin is in season.

Anyway, now is definitely the best time to tuck in and make the most of it.

Pumpkin is a popular ingredient in Italy too, with many types of indigenous pumpkins growing there.

The history of the pumpkin in Italy is an interesting one.

It is thought that, because of its large size and relatively low nutritional value, Italians found a more practical use for them, hollowing them out and using their strong outer body to carry water or even wine.

With pumpkin being such a versatile ingredient, Italians use it in a variety of dishes from soups to breads.

Sometimes pumpkins can be roasted or pureed to accompany dishes or even used as an ingredient in desserts, to make cakes and flans.

You can even find pumpkin in pasta sauces and popular pasta dishes such as gnocchi or ravioli.

Whilst pumpkin is a delicious flavour on its own, it works best when it is combined with other flavours that either complement or deliciously contrast with its flavour.

For my recipe this month I will be teaching you how to make a warming, tasty pumpkin and Italian sausage soup.

For a meat free version, simply leave the sausage out of the recipe, as it will still be delicious, but for carnivorous types, the sausage adds something extra to the soup that will not disappoint.

So, with pumpkins in season until November, now is the ideal time to try creating autumn recipes with this favourite ingredient.

Recipe for Zuppa di Zucca:

Ingredients

225g sausage (Italian sausage, Sicilian sausage or any sausage of your choosing)

50g butter

200g chopped onion

1 teaspoon dried chilli

1 clove garlic

680g chopped pumpkin

1.7 litres vegetable stock

110g dark brown soft sugar

90ml double cream

1. Start by dicing your sausages. The recipe works best with Italian or Sicilian sausage, but you can use English sausages or just skip the meat from the dish entirely to keep it vegetarian friendly. Melt 30g butter in a frying pan before adding the diced sausage. Cook for 5 minutes.

 2. Chop your onion before adding to the pan with the sausages. Continue to cook until the onions are nice and soft.

3. To hollow out your pumpkin, start by removing the crown with a sharp knife. Carefully scoop out the pumpkin flesh (For added style, carefully removing the flesh from your pumpkin will leave you with a hollow bowl which you can let the kids carve to make a jack o’ lantern, or you can even used it to serve your soup from). Add the pumpkin flesh to the pan.

4. Chop your clove of garlic by squashing it with the flat side of the knife, pressing down on it with your hand until you feel it crack. Peel the skin from the garlic with your hands before chopping it horizontally and then vertically until it is in very small pieces. Add to the pan along with the dried chilli and cook for a further 5 minutes.

5. Add the vegetable stock and the brown sugar to the pan before covering and leaving to simmer. Allow your soup to cook on a low heat for 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is nice and tender.

6. Using a liquidiser, puree the soup in batches before returning to the pan and stirring in the remaining butter and the double cream.

7. Warm the soup but do not allow the mixture to boil. Serve immediately.