Fonduta, as its name implies, is a fontina cheese dish originating from northern Italy, specifically the Piedmont and Val d'Aosta regions. It is typically served as part of an antipasto with cubes of toasted bread and a glass of wine. At my house, we drop the toasted bread, keep the glass of wine, and raise you warmed autumn vegetables with my Roasted Pumpkin with Fontina Fonduta.

When shopping for fontina, be sure to ask for an Italian variety, with its reddish-brown rind proving authenticity. The texture and flavor of this cheese depends on how long it has been aged; semi-soft versus firm and mild versus robust richness all depends on the aging process. Classically, fontina is aged for a full 90 days, until its interior is creamy pale and riddled with "eyes" or little holes. Fontina becomes nuttier with age, much like you and me.

Fontina is earthy, exuding wood and mushrooms, and pairs especially well with nebbiolo red wine. This burly red wine with hints of wild cherry and truffles is a perfect match for fonduta for my palate, but you should also try a Barolo from Piedmont. I've never met a Barolo I didn't melt with in the fall.

If you have the opportunity to grate your own whole nutmeg, you should absolutely do so. The stuff that comes out of industrial spice cans does not transport you into fall the way freshly grated nutmeg certainly does. It's simply magical in this recipe, paired with Parmigiano-Reggiano, the undisputed king of cheeses.

Roasted Pumpkin with Fontina Fonduta

Recipe excerpted from "Molto Batali" (ecco, 2011)

Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish.

3 pounds pumpkin or Hubbard squash

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

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