Paste Nuove

I first heard the term paste nuove at the Santo Spirito Monastery, in Agrigento, where it was used to describe a small spherical bun of baked almond paste filled with zuccata, a type of candied zucchini. (The zucchini in question is an extremely long, light green Sicilian variety. Zuccata resembles candied watermelon rind in concept but not flavor and is sweet and spicy, like good-quality candied citron.) I was amused at the name because I thought it meant that the past