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HOW TO MAKE

Tortelli di Zucca e Amaretti

Tortelli stuffed with squash and amaretti cookies

120 MinuteS to prepare and cook
Medium Difficulty
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Learned to Cook Tortelli di Zucca e Amaretti

Recipe Overview

This dish is the perfect example of the italian regional cuisine in which there’s no contamination and there’s the research to the local product to maximally exalt the territory. Indeed, the filling is made with a local kind of squash that grows in the Mantova’s area (a little town in northern Italy) which is called Zucca Mantovana and with the amaretti cookies from Saronno, another little town in the same region of Mantova.

These tortelli are the symbol of Mantova, the flavor is very complex because there are many combinations of characterizing ingredients: the sweetness of the squash, the saltiness of the Grana Padano, the bitterness of the amaretti, the spiciness of the mustard and the spicy note of the nutmeg, which tasted separately may not be good, but joined together in a filling make this tortello a delicacy.

 Ingredients

Total Served: 2

For the pasta:

1
200 grams (0.8 cup) Soft Wheat Flour Type 00 (Cake Flour or All-Purpose Flour)
2
2 Large eggs (at room temperature)
3
1 Yolk (optional)

For the tortelli filling:

1
400 grams (1.95 cup) Hard winter squash (butternut, acorn)
2
100 grams (1 cup) Aged parmigiano reggiano, finely grated (or Grana Padano)
3
40 grams (2 ½ tbsp) Pear mustard (optional)
4
25 grams (¼ cup) Amaretto cookies, roughly chopped
5
Nutmeg to taste
6
Salt
7
Black pepper

For the sauce:

1
40 grams (3 tbsp) Butter, cut into cubes
2
30 grams (6 tbsp) Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
3
4 to 6 Sage leaves

Equipment Needed to Make Tortelli di Zucca e Amaretti

The following tools will be used to create Tortelli di Zucca e Amaretti . Not all of them are necessary and can be replaced with more manual operations, but we suggest using all of these to make the recipe as easy-to-create and yummy as possible. Click on any of the items to learn more about them and purchase them.
Working surface where to roll out pasta
Rolling pin or pasta machine
Fluted cutter wheel
Working surface where to roll out pasta
Kitchen scale
Cutting board
Bench scraper
Mixing bowl
Plastic wrap
Parchment paper
Piping bag
Frying pan
Pot
Baking tray
Kitchen towels

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions for Tortelli di Zucca e Amaretti

Let’s get started with creating Tortelli di Zucca e Amaretti . Follow the instructions in order below to create this tasty fall dish.
Squash:
1
Cut the squash into slices (keep the skin on) and roast it in the oven preheated at 190°C/375° F for 25-30 minutes.
2
Let it cool down.
3
Peel it and smash it with a fork to the consistency of a puree.
Make the dough:
1
Pour the flour on a work surface and form a well in the center.
2
Crack and add one egg at a time into the well.
3
Whisk the eggs with a fork and incorporate the flour a bit at a time until all the moisture is absorbed by the flour, and the dough looks lumpy.
4
Work the dough with both hands until a mass forms, start to knead it. Repeat until the dough is a smooth but elastic mass.
5
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set it aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes..
7
With the palm of your hand, push and roll the dough away from you making a loaf, turn it 90°, fold the far end of the dough over itself and then push it away from you
8
Repeat the kneading at least for 5 minutes until the dough is a smooth but elastic mass
9
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, removing any air pocket (like creating a vacuum) and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes
Tortelli filling:
1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the squash, the chopped amaretto, the Parmigiano, and the mustard.
2
Add a touch of nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
3
Taste the flavor and pour the filling into a piping bag to store it in the fridge until use.
Roll the sfoglia (pasta sheet):
1
Sprinkle a pinch of flour on the work surface.
2
Flatten the dough with hands keeping a round shape.
3
Position the rolling pin horizontally in the middle of the dough and roll it forward all the way up
4
Bring the rolling pin back to the center and roll back toward you.
5
Rotate the pasta sheet 90° and repeat the movements.
6
Continue rolling the pasta until you reach a thickness of 2 mm.
Fill the pasta:
1
Fold the pasta sheet over itself, mark a line that divides it in two halves and unfold it back.
2
Use one-half in which you put the squash filling and the other half as the covering.
3
Measure squares of 4cm (1,6 in) per side and stuff the tortelli.
4
Fold the other half of the pasta over and close the tortelli trying to get all the hair out.
5
Cut the tortelli in squares.
Cook the pasta and make the sauce:
1
Boil the water, add a handful of coarse salt and cook the pasta for 4 minutes.
2
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the sage leaves to infuse in butter.
3
Drain the pasta into the sauce and mix it for a minute.
4
Add the parmigiano reggiano, off the heat, and stir until the cheese is melted.
Buon Appetito!
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Tag Chef Riccardo Alberti, @riccardocookingclass

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