Pumpkin Ravioli Tortelli di Zucca

The most interesting peculiarity of this recipe comes from the use of the sweet amaretti biscuits and the pugency of the mostarda di Cremona, caramelized fruits in mustard syrup.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas 6).Start the filling. Put the pumpkin flesh on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil, and bake in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pasta. Sift the flour on to a work surface and form into a mound with a well in the centre. Break the eggs into the well, and add the salt. Mix the eggs into the flour with your hands, until you have a coarse paste. Scrape up any sticky bits with a spatula, and add a little more flour if necessary. Clean the work surface before starting to knead. Knead the dough for 10–15 minutes – yes, sorry, it needs that time! – until the consistency is smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in clingfilm(plastic wrap) and rest it in a cool place for 30 minutes.

The baked pumpkin should be soft and cooked, but not wet. If it still looks a little wet, wrap it in a clean cloth and squeeze to get as much liquid out as you can. Put the pumpkin flesh into a bowl and reduce it to a pulp with a fork. Add the chopped mostarda, the eggs, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, amaretti crumbs, and salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Stir to amalgamate everything – you should have a solid paste. Unwrap the pasta dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to thin sheets, 5mm (¼ inch) thick (a machine will do this easily for you!). Cut these into bands 8cm (3¼ inches) wide. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling mixture every 6–7cm (2½–2¾ inches) along the middle of one of the pasta bands. Brush around each pile of mixture with some water. Place another pasta band over the top to cover, and press all around each pile of mixture to get the air out and to make the pasta sheets adhere to each other. Using a serrated pastry or ravioli wheel, cut out each tortello to about 7cm (2¾ inch) square. Cover with a tea-towel and leave to rest for a while. When ready to cook, boil the tortelli in salted water for 5–6 minutes. Scoop them out, using a slotted spoon, and place in a warmed dish. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan, add the sage and gently fry for a minute or two. Pour this over the tortelli, and serve on individual hot plates, sprinkled with the Parmesan.