Trombocino Squash with Cinnamon and Cardamom

I'm madly in love with the shape of this squash. Turns out it tastes too good to keep it around for long, so I was glad to see it reappear in our CSA box this week. It's different: thin-skinned like a summer squash, but with a texture that seems a little closer to a winter squash once cooked. (I'm not sure what possessed me to add cardamom and cinnamon to it, since I assume it must be Italian, but it works.)

Ingredients
1/2 trombocino squash, sliced crosswise into rounds
Olive oil
2 cardamom pods, crushed
Pinch saffron
Cinnamon
Salt

Heat a glug of olive oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cardamom pods and stir for 10-20 seconds, then add the saffron. Stir once or twice, then add the squash slices, turning to coat. Adjust the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the layer of squash on the bottom just starts to brown. Flip the squash slices over, add 1/4 cup of water, cover, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes, turning from time to time and adding additional quarter cups of water as necessary (you want them to primarily cook by steaming, not boiling), until the squash are very tender. Remove the cardamom pods, sprinkle the squash lightly with cinnamon and a pinch of salt, and serve.

Serves 2-3 as a side dish.