Tortelli di Zucca (Pumpkin Tortelli)

Pumpkin pasta along with few other unique dishes like pumpkin risotto and fried pumpkin remind me where I come from, memories of my grandparents. I remember Grandma spending days preparing large quantities of food; the incredible smell was all over the house, waking me up on Sunday morning or for Christmas. These are the things I took for granted then and they’ve been so precious since I moved here to the United States. The pumpkin is very popular in Italy, where I come from, and tortelli di zucca are one of my all-time favorites. ~ Andrea Bettini, Bettini Pasta

By Andrea Bettini | January 09, 2017

Ingredients

For the Pasta

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs

Pumpkin Puree

2½ cups pumpkin purée
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) package amaretto cookies, crushed

For the Sauce

¼ cup unsalted butter
6–8 leaves fresh sage

Preparation

First, prepare pumpkin filling by mixing all the ingredients in a food processor. Set aside.

Prepare the pasta dough by combining the flour and eggs on a flat surface and using your hands to mix them together. A stand mixer may also be used. Continue working the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Separate dough into 2 parts.

Roll out each ball of dough using a rolling pin or a pasta attachment or machine, until the dough is 1/10 of an inch thick. Place a sheet of dough on a flat work surface and place hazelnut-size balls of pumpkin filling on the sheet, about an inch away from each other.

Place the second sheet of pasta on top of the pasta with filling. Use your fingers to seal the pasta around the filling, trying to remove any air bubbles. Use a ridged pasta cutter or sharp knife to cut out your tortelli. Cook pasta immediately.

The tortelli can be also stored uncooked for months in the freezer as long as they are sealed well in airtight food containers or freezer bags.

Pasta Cooking Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While water is boiling, make the Sage Butter Sauce: Melt the butter in a sauté pan over low heat. Add sage and some grated Parmesan cheese. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes. Once the pasta water is boiling, add the tortelli and cook for 5 minutes. Drain tortelli well, add sauce and top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.