I have been so excited to share this recipe from my dear friend Francesca. Francesca came into my life via Sajjad, (like many good things have, these last few years), but we have a friendship all of our own, with lots of conversations about food, recipes and cookbooks. Which is how I first heard about this Pumpkin Amaretti Tortelli. The idea of a roasted pumpkin filling mixed through with almond biscuits and parmesan sounded like heaven. So one morning, Francesca set about making this pasta for us, with Atul filming it for posterity, and Vinicio Capossela on the speakers, making everyone hum along.
The pasta is delicate and has a filling that is truly addictive — with just a touch of sweetness, a hint of almond and citrus, and savouriness thanks to the generous amount of parmesan. And just when you think it can’t get better, it gets bathed in a sage-infused butter and finished with more parmesan.
We ate this in silence, standing around the table, and if that isn’t the mark of a superb dish, I don’t know what is.
Recipe: Francesca’s Pumpkin and Amaretti Tortelli
Ingredients:
For the filling
500 g pumpkin, peeled
1 egg yolk
50 g Parmesan, grated
25 grams of Amaretti
Zest from half a lemon
Pinch of nutmeg
Few grinds of fresh pepper
Salt to taste
Olive oil as needed
For the pasta
350 g flour
4 eggs
Pinch of salt
For the sage-infused butter
100 g butter
A few fresh sage leaves
Parmesan, for serving
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Cut the pumpkin into 1-inch pieces, and toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat it.
Spread out the pumpkin pieces on a tray, and roast until the pumpkin is tender.
In a large bowl, mash the pumpkin until it is smooth. Use a fork to do this. If your pumpkin is fibrous, you could also give it a whizz in a blender for a few seconds.
Next, crush the amaretti to a sandy consistency.
When the pumpkin is slightly cool, add the egg yolk, amaretti biscuits, parmesan, nutmeg, pepper, lemon zest, salt and mix well. Set aside.
To make the pasta, place the flour on a clean surface.
Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and salt.
Incorporate the flour into the eggs, until it forms a shaggy dough.
Now, using your hands bring the dough together and knead until it becomes smooth.
Cover and refrigerate for half an hour.
To roll out the pasta, start by cutting the ball of dough into 4.
Carefully pass each piece through the pasta machine on the widest setting. Repeat the process.
Turn the pasta setting to the next widest setting and repeat this a few more times.
The pasta sheet is the right thickness when it is slightly translucent.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
To make the tortelli, place a sheet of pasta on a floured surface, and add the filling, 1 tsp at a time, an inch apart.
Cover with another sheet of pasta, trim off any overhang from the sides, and press down to seal.
Gently press around each dollop of filling to remove any air bubbles.
Bring a pot of water to boil, and cook the tortelli, a few at a time, for 1-2 minutes, or until they rise to the surface. Drain and set aside.
To make the sage-infused butter, gently melt the butter in a pan, with the sage leaves. Let it sizzle gently for a few minutes, before removing from the heat.
Serve the tortelli with a drizzle of the butter, more parmesan and pepper.
Serve hot.
Photos by Atul Pinheiro