Pumpkin and hay sorbet

Name: Pumpkin and hay sorbet
Yield: 1000 g
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 399.2 g Baked pumpkin; 346.2 g Water; 2.2 g Dried mountain hay; 114.7 g Sucrose; 49.9 g Trehalose; 57.9 g Dextrose; 22.9 g Glucose powder 39 DE; 5 g Stabilizer; 2 g Salt

Marco Ottaviani's Open Lab sorbet: natural pumpkin sweetness and the herbal note of toasted hay, with modern balancing for high-moisture vegetable matrices.

A recipe by Marco Ottaviani

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Photo by Marco Ottaviani

The mix

Ingredients

1 kg

Base

Ingredients for 1 kg of mix. Check off ingredients as you weigh them.
Ingredient	Weight	%
Baked pumpkin	399.2 g	39.9%
Sucrose	114.7 g	11.5%
Trehalose SaporePuro -20%	49.9 g	5%
Dextrose SaporePuro -20%	57.9 g	5.8%
Glucose powder 39 DE SaporePuro -20%	22.9 g	2.3%
Stabilizer	5 g	0.5%
Salt	2 g	0.2%

Infusion

Water	346.2 g	34.6%
Dried mountain hay	2.2 g	0.2%

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Your quantity, the same recipe.

From formula to gelato

Method

Hay infusion

Toast the hay in a static oven for 10-15 min at 120 °C.
Heat water to 65 °C, add toasted hay and infuse 20 minutes, then filter finely.

Sorbet

Bake pumpkin at 180 °C for 30-35 minutes and remove any surface water.
Heat infused water to 55-58 °C and dissolve sugars, trehalose, dextrose and glucose.
Add stabilizer at about 55 °C and mix until fully dispersed.
Incorporate baked pumpkin at 50-55 °C and blend 1-2 minutes.
Cool to 4 °C, mature 3-6 hours and churn.

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The method

The balance, in numbers.

Mix composition and freezing curve. POD22.58 PAC32.68 Serv. temp.-15.1 °C

Sugars: 27.75%
Fats: 0.20%
MSNF: 0.00%
Other solids: 4.11%
Total solids: 32.07%
Water: 67.93%
POD: 22.58
PAC: 32.68
Serv. temp.: -15.1 °C
OQP: -12.1 °C
Calories: 129.27 kcal

Freezing curve

Serv. temp. (75%): -15.1 °C
OQP (70%): -12.1 °C

Behind the recipe

Marco Ottaviani

Gelateria Il Castello

Marco Ottaviani is the gelato maker behind Gelateria Il Castello in Rimini, an artisan business that in recent years has stood out for quality, clean flavours and constant research into recipe balance. His lab philosophy is based on carefully selected ingredients and essential production, where technique and gastronomic sensitivity meet to produce gelato with a clear, well-defined aromatic profile.

His gelateria has been cited several times in the national press as a virtuous example of contemporary gelato, attentive to raw materials and the exploration of non-obvious pairings. Among the flavours that drew attention is "Vento d'Oro", combining saffron, pistachio and Sichuan pepper, listed among 2025 innovative flavour trends by outlets such as Repubblica Il Gusto and Corriere Cook.

Ottaviani works with a focused, concrete approach: few ingredients, reliable supply chains, no unnecessary complications. His way of understanding gelato prioritises flavour and respect for raw materials while maintaining a strong artisan identity.

Meet Marco