Pumpkin tortelli, a symbolic dish of Mantuan cuisine and listed among the traditional Italian agri-food products (P.A.T.), originate from the ancient and popular culinary tradition of stuffed pasta in Northern Italy. Over time, the flavor combination of the filling (sweet-salty-bitter-spicy) has not allowed for many variations. The pumpkin tortelli from Reggio are one of the few variants that introduce a modification to this filling. Here is the recipe.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 562.60 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 66.28 (g) of which sugars 5.28 (g)
- Proteins 24.97 (g)
- Fat 23.53 (g) of which saturated 13.82 (g)of which unsaturated 9.16 (g)
- Fibers 3.18 (g)
- Sodium 499.70 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for making Pumpkin Tortelli from Reggio
- 2.2 lbs Mantuan pumpkin
- 3 ½ oz amaretti
- 8 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
- lemon zest (grated)
- 1 tbsp rum (or Sassolino)
- to taste salt
- to taste water
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 7 eggs (medium)
- 7 tbsp butter
- 10 leaves sage
- 3 ½ oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Kitchen towel
- 1 Mold
- 1 Aluminum foil
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Mortar
- 1 Pastry board
- 1 Pasta machine
- 1 Mold (for tortelli)
- 1 Pastry cutter
- 1 Tray (paper)
- 1 Pot
- 1 Small pan
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Tray (serving)
How to make Pumpkin Tortelli from Reggio
To start, preheat the convection oven to 356°F. Cooking the pumpkin this way will allow us to peel it more easily.
Meanwhile, wash the surface of the pumpkin under running water and dry it well with the kitchen towel.
Place the pumpkin on the cutting board and cut it into large crescent-shaped slices with a chef’s knife.
Pour some water into the mold used to cook the pumpkin, arrange the slices and cover the mold with the aluminum foil
Then, place the mold in the preheated convection oven at 356°F and bake the pumpkin for about 40 minutes.
At the end of cooking, remove the mold from the oven, place it on the work surface, and let it rest to cool down the pumpkin.
Once cooled, scoop out the flesh from the pumpkin slices with the spoon. Place the flesh in the large bowl, eliminating the skin.
Mash the pumpkin well, continuing to use the spoon. If preferred, pass it through a sieve or use a potato masher.
Then, add the amaretti, which have been previously finely crushed in the mortar. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano, rum or Sassolino, and a little grated lemon zest.
Adjust the salt. If the filling is too soft, add some breadcrumbs. Cover the filling for the tortelli, setting it aside.
While the pumpkin is baking, prepare the dough to be used to create the pumpkin tortelli from Reggio.
Arrange the flour in a large mound, making a well in the center and add the previously beaten eggs.
Knead the dough by hand on the pastry board for at least 15 minutes until obtaining a smooth and elastic dough ball.
You can use a planetary mixer if available for the best results and to save time in the kitchen.
Divide the dough ball into small pieces, dust them with flour, cover them with plastic wrap, and let rest for at least half an hour.
At this point, proceed as for green tortelli:
Take a piece of dough and roll it out slightly with the help of a rolling pin.
Insert the dough into the pasta machine and roll out a thin sheet.
Carefully flour one side of the sheet and place it on the tortelli mold also floured with semolina, to facilitate detachment of the tortelli.
Place the filling in the appropriate hollows with the help of the knife and spoon.
Cover with another sheet and press with the rolling pin and turn the mold over onto the table.
Use the pastry wheel cutter to remove the excess dough and create squares of filled pasta.
Arrange the pumpkin tortelli from Reggio on the floured paper tray. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and continue with the same procedure until all ingredients are used up.
If you do not have the mold or prefer to make them by hand, follow these recommendations:
Roll out a thin sheet delimiting it into two parts; place a bit of filling on one part every 2-3 inches; fold the sheet over itself; press with joined hands around the filling to seal it (wet the edges with a brush or with the help of your fingers to better adhere the pasta, if deemed necessary); cut the squares with the pastry wheel cutter (usually pumpkin tortelli are rectangular measuring 2.36 x 1.38 inches) and place them on a floured tray, covering them.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; then, lower the heat and carefully immerse the tortelli one by one.
Gently cook the pumpkin tortelli for the necessary time and until the water returns to a boil.
Prepare the dressing for the pumpkin tortelli. Heat the small pan and place the butter with the sage leaves; heat for a few minutes over low heat until the butter melts, stirring continuously.
Drain the tortelli with the slotted spoon; pour some of the dressing made with butter and sage; arrange the tortelli on the serving tray in layers, seasoning each time with melted butter, sage, and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Serve at the table, distributing the tortelli onto individual plates, and sprinkle with a bit more Parmigiano Reggiano (as is the tradition of a family raised between the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines!)
Storage
Pumpkin tortelli can be stored for a long time once frozen. To freeze them, the tray with the prepared tortelli must be placed in the freezer compartment until frozen; then, the tortelli should be removed, one by one, and placed in special plastic bags for storage, noting the name, quantity, and date of preparation.
Pumpkin tortelli can be stored for a long time once frozen. To freeze them, the tray with the prepared tortelli must be placed in the freezer compartment until frozen; then, the tortelli should be removed, one by one, and placed in special plastic bags for storage, noting the name, quantity, and date of preparation.
