Pumpkin tortelli

Primi piatti

Pumpkin tortelli

Recommended track: David Bowie – Changes

Ingredients for 6 people

For the filling:

• 900 g (2 lbs) of pumpkin (raw weight)
• 200 g (7 oz) of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 30 g (1 oz) of crumbled amaretti cookies
• 1 egg
• Salt and nutmeg

For the pasta dough:

• 600 g (4 cups) of white flour
• 6 medium eggs
• A pinch of salt

First, clean the pumpkin. For cooking, you can choose between baking it in the oven covered with aluminum foil—cutting it into large wedges—or, as we did, steaming it in a steamer. In this case, we cut it into cubes to save time.

We usually use the Delica variety, but in this case, we opted for a beautiful zucca violina from our farmer friend Michele at Rusticorto.

Once the pumpkin is cooked and while it cools slightly, we prepare the pasta dough, which will need to rest for about half an hour.

As we’ve seen in other recipes, to prepare the pasta dough—whether by hand or with a stand mixer—we combine flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt, working the mixture until we achieve a smooth, elastic dough. Then, we let it rest in a plastic bag.

The ratio of one egg per 100 g (3.5 oz) of flour is a guideline and depends on the size of the eggs. If the dough is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour; if it’s too dry, add a splash of water.

Next, we return to preparing the filling by mashing the cooked pumpkin flesh with a potato masher or a food mill. This ensures a smooth, thick pulp without any fibers.

At this point, we add the crumbled amaretti cookies, one egg, salt, nutmeg, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Depending on the quality of the pumpkin, the mixture may be more or less moist, so we adjust by increasing or decreasing the amount of Parmigiano Reggiano accordingly.

Next, we proceed with assembling the tortelli, following tradition. Roll out the dough using a pasta machine, then place small mounds of filling evenly spaced on the sheet of dough. Cover with another layer of dough, pressing gently with your hands to eliminate any air pockets, as these could cause issues during cooking. Trim the excess dough with a pastry wheel, and the tortelli are ready to be cooked.

We cook them for a few minutes in salted boiling water and, as always, dress them with melted butter and plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.