Tortelli di zucca

Alessandra Viola’s selected tortelli di zucca enclose a pumpkin filling in thin egg pasta. Amaretti, apple mostarda, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon zest and nutmeg give the filling its sweet-and-savoury character, associated here with Mantua.

Pumpkin pieces roast until soft and are mashed while warm. Powdered amaretti, chopped mostarda, grated cheese and lemon zest join the mash before nutmeg, salt and black pepper finish the compact filling.

A separate dough combines flour, lightly beaten eggs and salt. After resting, it is rolled very thin, dusted as needed and cut into small squares.

Mounds of pumpkin filling sit at the centre of each square before the pasta folds over and is sealed. A little water can moisten edges that have become too dry, while breadcrumbs are an optional adjustment for an overly wet filling.

The tortelli boil briefly in salted water and finish in melted butter with sage. A final handful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano tops the plated pasta, completing this selected butter-and-sage version.