Name: Braised Meat with Butternut Squash
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil; 2 large onions, chopped; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary; 2 pounds cubed veal for stew; Salt to taste; 1 cup Marsala or other sweet wine; 1 butternut squash, about 1 pound, halved, seeds and fibers removed, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, and parboiled in salted water for 5 minutes; 1 1/2 cups meat or chicken broth, or as needed; Freshly ground black pepper to taste

(Stufadin di Zuca Zala)

As many Ashkenazic Jews emigrated to the Veneto, it's not surprising to find a Venetian recipe for a stew reminiscent of the familiar Ashkenazic tsimmes, in which sweet potatoes or squash are paired with meat for a savory one-dish meal. In Mantua, a similar dish made with a beef rump roast is called brasato Rachele. Despite the use of the squash and Marsala, the stufadin is not overly sweet.