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Tortelli di zucca – pumpkin, mostarda and amaretti pasta

by Nadia Santini
  1. Tortelli di zucca
Item 1 of 1
  • Pasta
  • medium
  • 4
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
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Legendary Lombard chef Nadia Santini's tortelli di zucca recipe is a refined take on this popular pasta dish, which originated in the city of Mantua but can be found throughout northern Italy. Each parcel is stuffed with pumpkin, Parmesan, mostarda di frutta, spices and crushed amaretti biscuits to create an intriguing sweet-meets-savoury combination.

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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Pasta

Filling

To serve

SAVE RECIPE

Equipment

  • Pasta machine
  • Fluted pasta wheel/cutter

Method

1
Place the flour onto a surface and make a well in the centre. Add the egg yolks and bring together until you obtain a smooth and elastic dough. Place in the fridge to rest
2
Slice the pumpkin and cook in lightly salted simmering water until soft. Drain well, remove and discard the skin, and pass the flesh through a sieve. Add a dash of sugar to the pumpkin flesh, to taste. Weigh out the purée – you will need 150g for this recipe
3
Combine the weighed purée with the crushed amaretti, minced mostarda, Parmesan and spices in a bowl
4
Roll the dough through a pasta machine or using a rolling pin to obtain some squares with a side length of 8cm. Place some of the filling in the centre (about 6–8g) and dampen the edges slightly
5
Fold the corner facing you over the filling to meet the other corner. Press firmly yet gently around the filling, ensuring there are no air pockets trapped inside
6
Cook the tortelli in boiling water for 5 minutes
7
Drain and serve with melted butter and Parmesan

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First published in 2018

Nadia Santini

One of Italy's most celebrated chefs, Nadia Santini has spent decades shaping the cooking at of the three-Michelin-starred Dal Pescatore, combining classical Italian cooking with the elegance of French haute cuisine. Together with generations of the Santini family, she has helped transform a humble countryside restaurant into one of Europe's most revered dining destinations.

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