Chef’s Tip: Olive Oil, Potimarron, and Other Squash Varieties

As summer comes to an end, the colors of autumn start to emerge—warm browns, yellows, and oranges. It’s a delight to see pumpkins and other seasonal squash returning to gardens and market stalls! Especially during the All Saints’ period and Halloween, pumpkins, potimarron, and butternut squash inspire us with delicious recipe ideas.
But have you thought about pairing these autumn dishes with the ultimate ingredient that will elevate them… olive oil?

Olive Oil Pairs Perfectly with All Kinds of Squash

Soups, purées, pies, gratins, muffins, cakes—there are so many ways to highlight the rich flavors of squash! Whether it’s pumpkin, potimarron, pâtisson, butternut, or other varieties, olive oil complements them all beautifully.

We particularly love the nutty flavor of potimarron, which pairs perfectly with Arbequina olive oil. This oil, made from ripe olives, brings subtle, balanced, fruity notes. The Arbequina olive is harvested in November, making it the perfect partner for these autumnal dishes.

If you’re looking for something cozy to enjoy while curled up on your sofa with blankets and cushions, a bowl of pumpkin soup would be a real treat. Add a drizzle of Cornicabra olive oil and indulge in this comforting meal. The bold flavors of black olives, combined with the surprisingly sweet taste of the pumpkin, will delight your taste buds. However, you’ll need to wait until winter to enjoy this pairing, as Cornicabra olives are harvested very late in the year, at the peak of ripeness, for an intense, black-fruity flavor.

Meanwhile, Picual olive oil, with its green-fruity profile, is best for desserts or drizzling over fresh goat cheese at the end of a meal! Its freshness will give you the tonic boost you might need during the fall.

Recipe Ideas Using Olive Oil

The possibilities are endless, but here are just a few of our favorite recipes.

Butternut Squash Lasagna
This dish is particularly creamy and delicious! A vegetarian recipe made with Arbequina olive oil and piquant tomato coulis from the Piemonte region will please both children and adults. Here's the recipe.

Hasselback-Style Roasted Butternut Squash

A recipe from Chef Fabrice Mignot. We love this unique combination—on one hand, the rich, indulgent flavor of Arbequina olive oil, and on the other, the freshness of thyme and the boldness and heat of garlic!
Find all the tips in this video.

Forest Pumpkins

An original recipe from the "Petit Blog Gourmand" to surprise your guests! The pumpkins are served whole, stuffed with chestnuts, porcini mushrooms, and rice. You’ll see how the olive oil, which binds the stuffing together under the pumpkin’s cap, reveals delightful flavors.

Pumpkin Flan

Imagine the sweet blend of pumpkin, Cornicabra olive oil with its deeply ripe fruitiness, eggs, mascarpone, and parmesan. With these ingredients, you have everything you need to make and enjoy an exceptional pumpkin flan.

Let’s continue sharing our passion for flavor! Join us on Facebook Club 18:1 – Alexis Muñoz – Huile d’Olive des Chefs or on Instagram @alexismunoz_huilesdolive.