Bottle Gourd (or Cucuzza) in Spiced Fresh Tomato Puree

What’s special about bottle gourd cooked this way is its smooth flesh—like melting melon, but with crunch. Sweet spices perfume fresh tomato puree, which in turn is scented with a mince of coriander leaves—all lending flavors to the bland squash, which absorbs them discreetly. Between salad and cooked vegetable, the dish makes a useful buffet item. Or serve alongside grilled seafood or poultry, or as part of a vegetarian meal, with quinoa or rice.