Pumpkin Tortelli

-Serves 4
Traditional Italian pumpkin ravioli is probably a dish you’ve heard of or had multiple times in the fall at your favorite Italian restaurant. This classic Italian homemade pasta dish has a a beautiful rich shell made with egg yolks encasing sweet spiced roasted pumpkin with hints of nutty amaretti and fruity Mostarda. Super easy to make, these deliciously sweet pockets are enjoyed best with an even simpler brown butter and sage sauce. 

Ingredients for Pumpkin Tortelli

Dough
200g Tipo 00 Flour
35g fine semolina
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
700g yellow-fleshed pumpkin or butternut, peeled and cut into large cubes
Salt, for seasoning
Olive oil, for drizzling
50g amaretti cookies, crumbled
120g Mostarda di Mantova, chopped
60g grated parmesan
Grated zest of one lemon
Pinch of nutmeg
¼ cup – ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
Freshly grated parmesan, for serving
Melted Butter and Sage
60g butter
A few fresh sage leaves

Recipe
  1. Pile the flour and the semolina in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Separate eggs and add the yolks to the well. Add extra-virgin olive oil and water to the well. With a fork whip up the yolks until smooth, then gradually bring in the flour in from the outside until it becomes too hard to mix. Get your floured hands in there and bring it together into a ball of dough, then knead it on a flour-dusted surface for 4-5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (add a touch more of water or flour if needed). Wrap in cling film and leave to relax for 30 minutes (best to refrigerate in hot weather).
  2. Pre-heat your oven to 180ºC. Place pumpkin in an ovenproof dish, season with salt and olive oil, cover and roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
  3. Remove and transfer the pumpkin into a bowl and mash until very smooth.
  4. Add crumbled amaretti, chopped Mostarda, grated Parmesan, grated lemon zest and nutmeg.
  5. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. After refrigeration, the mixture should be firm; if not, add some breadcrumbs.
  6. Divide pasta dough into 4 pieces, covering everything with a clean damp tea towel to stop it from drying out. You can roll it to your desired thickness (1mm for filled pasta) with a rolling pin or a pasta machine. Cut into 6cm wide strips.
  7. Using a piping bag, pipe the filling into small, well-spaced heaps on rows of one half of the pasta sheet (alternatively, use a teaspoon). Moisten the pasta all around the fillings.
  8. Fold the other half of the dough on top of the fillings and press down between them, then cut out the tortelli with a fluted pastry cutter (or cookie cutter) and pinch the edges to seal, making sure to remove any air-pockets.
  9. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the tortelli, cook for 3-4 minutes or until al dente.
  10. Melt the butter in a small saucepan with the fresh sage leaves. Drain the tortelli well, reserving some of the cooking water. Transfer tortelli to a serving dish and drizzle the melted butter over them. If necessary, moisten the tortelli with a tablespoon of the reserved cooking water. Serve hot with melted butter and sage, and some freshly grated parmesan.
Note: To freeze Tortelli, simply place it on a flour-dusted tray and freeze for 2-3 hours until frozen solid, then store and freeze in sealed Ziploc bags until ready to use. Cook directly from frozen, until al-dente.
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