Sweet and Sour Squash or zucca in agrodolce is an easy Sicilian side dish or appetizer made with few ingredients. It is best prepared in advance and served at room temperature in order to allow the flavors to mingle.

The presence of sweet and sour dishes in Sicilian cooking is no doubt of Arabic influence. This method of cooking with sugar and vinegar (in agrodolce) was a way to preserve foods and found in traditional Sicilian dishes such as caponata; sweet and sour meatballs; sweet and sour rabbit and this zucca in agrodolce.
Origins of this dish
Sweet and sour squash came about as a poor man's version of sweet and sour liver and was said to originate in the Vucciria market of Palermo. Since liver (as most meats) was not affordable to all, this sweet and sour version made with winter squash was available.
This winter squash recipe can be made with several varieties of orange fleshed squash including butternut, pumpkin and acorn squash.
The original recipe is pan fried however I am partial to my easy and mess free method of oven roasted squash.
To serve
This easy squash recipe is best when allowed to rest for several hours before serving in order to allow the squash to absorb the sweet and sour flavors. Therefore it is best enjoyed at room temperature.
Serve as a side dish along side roasted meat dishes or as an appetizer.
Ingredient list
- Winter squash: any orange fleshed squash such as butternut, pumpkin or acorn squash will do. I used half of a butternut squash.
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- White wine vinegar
- Granulated Sugar
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh mint leaves
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Peel, remove the seeds and slice squash into approximate 1 cm slices.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Meanwhile heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet and sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Combine the sugar and vinegar in a glass and stir. Pour into the pan with the garlic.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Transfer the roasted squash to the pan. Swirl the pan to coat the squash with the sweet and sour sauce.
- Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Place the squash on a serving plate and pour any remaining pan juices over it. Top with fresh mint leaves.
- Let sit for a minimum of one hour at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
-Use any orange fleshed winter squash such as pumpkin, butternut or acorn squash.
-For the traditional version of zucca in agrodolce, try pan frying the squash slices until fork tender.
-Let rest for a minimum of one hour at room temperature before serving.
-Alternately, prepare a day in advance, refrigerate and bring the squash to room temperature before serving.
-Serve as a side dish ar appetizer.
-Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 5 days.
-Bring to room temperature before serving.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more Sicilian sweet and sour recipes!
- Eggplant Caponata
- Sweet and Sour Rabbit
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Sicilian Fish with Onions, Mint and Vinegar
Ingredients
- 500 grams butternut squash about ½ squash
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tsp. granulated sugar
- fresh mint leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Peel and slice squash into approximate 1 cm slices. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush both sides with 1 tbsp. olive oil.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Meanwhile heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet and sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Combine the sugar and vinegar in a glass and stir. Pour into the pan with the garlic. Bring to a simmer.
- Transfer the roasted squash to the pan. Swirl the pan to coat the squash with the sweet and sour sauce. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Place the squash on a serving plate and pour any remaining pan juices over it. Top with fresh mint leaves.
- Let sit for a minimum of one hour at room temperature before serving.
Notes
-For the traditional version of this recipe, try pan frying the squash slices until fork tender. To Serve -Let rest for a minimum of one hour at room temperature before serving.
-Alternately, prepare a day in advance, refrigerate and bring the squash to room temperature before serving.
-Serve as a side dish ar appetizer. Storage -Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 5 days.
-Bring to room temperature before serving.
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
Looks like a lovely dish! I happen to have a winter squash just waiting to be cooked. I may give this a try. Being a traditionalist and lover of all things fried, I may fry the pieces rather than oven roasting them...
Nadia
Thank you Frank! I'm sure the fried version must be amazing and usually I stick to traditional methods but I just hate the splattering that comes from frying and oven roasting it was so easy. Hope you enjoy it!
dchow
even though i have overdone the squash (mushy), it still was delicious!
ps: i did not have white wine vinegar, and too lazy to go out to get a bottle, i used white rice vinegar (sans sugar) instead.
Nadia
Hi Daniel, yes indeed it doesn't take long for that squash to go from fork tender to overdone, but I'm glad it was still tasty! And I like how you improvised with what you had, certainly something I do often myself. Thanks for sharing!
Anna Bucciarelli
Cannot wait to try this Nadia - not something I would ever have thought of but I love winter squash and very much like sweet and sour so how could I go wrong? Also, not something I would have suspected in an Italian dish - at least not something that mama or papa ever thought to do so it was not passed on to the 6 of us siblings. Goes to show, learn something new every day, even if it's an old Sicilion recipe. Thank you Nadial
Nadia
Thank you Anna, I hope you enjoy this simple recipe! Indeed the whole sweet and sour thing is quite common in Sicilian cooking and no doubt of Arabic origin. But if you like the combo of sweet and savory flavors, you'll be sure to enjoy this squash recipe!