Pumpkin tortelli, a cult dish from Mantua at our tables

When & #39 comes; autumn means only one thing: the time has come to try your hand at pumpkin tortelli! Perfect both in autumn and winter, with their intense scent they are now the symbol of typical lunches of the cold season. Pumpkin tortelli are a recipe originally from Mantua, but they are so good and aromatic that you can now find them in the best restaurants all over northern Italy in different variations, which, however, always see pumpkin as the protagonist.
Let's find out a little bit about this delicious recipe and see how to prepare delicious home-made pumpkin tortelli

Pumpkin tortelli, from Mantuan origins

Pumpkin tortelli are one of the great boasts of Mantuan cuisine, but as already mentioned, there are numerous variations, such as the one from Cremona or the Ferrara pumpkin tortelli. But what are the origins of this recipe?
The history of this restorative dish dates back to 1500 in Spain, when the first settlers brought new plants from the New World, including pumpkin. The undisputed queen of our recipe, which immediately adapted to the typical Lombard climate, becoming by right one of the products most consumed by the population at the time.

Then, during the Renaissance, at the court of the Gonzaga and the Estensi, the concept of territorial product began to be valued for the first time and at km0, raising peasant cuisine, based on fresh products typical of local lands, to a new status. And it is in this context that the Mantuan “turtell” was born, including the pumpkin tortello, based on egg puff pastry filled with pumpkin, mustard, macaroons, cheese and nutmeg, all seasoned with butter and sage.

Today, pumpkin tortelli are a cult dish, a typical tradition of Lombard cuisine that even sees them as the main course on Christmas Eve, even if they are so good that they are now also prepared for rich dinners in the company of friends and family or on the occasion of Halloween. In general, we can say that, to enjoy this dish, all you need is a nice autumn atmosphere, loved ones and a good plate of homemade tortelli, a mix that can warm anyone's heart. So, what are you waiting for? Set the table, call your friends and fasten your apron: let's see the recipe for tortelli alla mantovana right away!

Mantovani pumpkin tortelli recipe,

The original Mantuan pumpkin tortelli recipe includes few ingredients, but they are fresh and of quality.
You will need:
• 6 eggs
• 600g of flour
• 1 kg of Pumpkin
• 200g of freshly grated Grana Padano (plus another equal serving for dressing)
• 300 g Macaroons
• 200 g Mantovana pear mustard
• 4-5 sage leaves
• Butter q.b.
• Salt, nutmeg q.b.

Cut the pumpkin into large wedges, wash it and remove the seeds with a spoon, then cook in the oven at 220° for about 25 minutes, placing it on the oven grill on a sheet of aluminum foil. Remove the skin, then place the pulp in a bowl and mash well with a fork. Combine the 200g of Grana, the crumbled macaroons, the mustard chopped in a mixer, salt and nutmeg, then cover and let the mixture rest overnight in the fridge. Start preparing the pastry by mixing eggs, flour and a pinch of salt, then knead with your hands for about ten minutes. Shape into a ball, wrap it up and let it rest for an hour in the fridge. After this time, divide the dough into four parts, then start working on one of them. Roll it out, trying to obtain a sheet of about 3 mm and at least 10 cm wide. Take back the filling and put a large teaspoon every 3 or 4 centimeters placing it not in the center, but on one of the two sides. Fold the sheet by pressing the ends well, then cut out with a small washer. At this point, put the pasta water on the fire and, when it boils, cook the tortelli for about five minutes. Melt the butter in a pan (80g should be enough, but you have to evaluate according to your tastes) by letting the sage fry inside, then drain the tortelli and sauté everything in the pan, ending in style with a nice handful of Grana.
Serve with a glass of Pinot Grigio or a good Lambrusco, but above all with the joy of sharing a genuine homemade lunch

Pumpkin and ricotta tortelli, a soft version

delicious alternative to the classic recipe are pumpkin and ricotta tortelli, ideal for those who prefer to break up the sweetness of the pumpkin, in order to muffle its aroma.
You will need:
• 300g Mantuan pumpkin already cleaned
• 250g of cow's ricotta
• 50g of Parmigiano Reggiano (plus another serving for the dressing)
• A pinch of Nutmeg
• 4 Eggs
• 400g Flour
• 50g of butter
• A few sage leaves
• 1 Salt
• 1 Pepper

The process is not much different from what we have seen before. Start with egg pasta by kneading eggs, flour and a pinch of salt, then knead for a few minutes, cover and let it rest for an hour in the fridge. Bake the pumpkin in the oven for 25 minutes at 180 degrees, then let it cool. Crush the pumpkin pulp, then add the ricotta and mix well. Then add Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg, then let it rest in the fridge for half an hour.
Take back the dough and divide it in three, roll the dough with a rolling pin or with the special machine, forming sheets about 10 cm wide, then spread them on the table and with a teaspoon distribute the filling, keeping a distance of about 4 cm. Fold the pastry and cut out the ravioli.
At this point, place a pot of salted water and cook for five minutes. Melt the butter in the pan with the sage, drain the tortelli and toss in the pan, stirring with the Parmesan cheese.
And here is a softer version of pumpkin tortelli, ideal especially if you have children or diners at the table who may not like the mix of flavors provided

Pumpkin tortelli with black garlic from Voghiera, a real gourmet recipe

Let's move on to a very sophisticated recipe, namely the pumpkin tortelli with black garlic from Voghiera, a unique product of its kind. This is a very special garlic with a characteristic black color obtained thanks to a long fermentation and maturation process that gives it an intense and elegant flavor. Tasty and tasty, balsamic, slightly sugary, it is a highly sought after product, both for its beneficial properties and for its unmistakable flavor, which is why it is very common especially in gourmet kitchens.
For this particular version of the tortelli you will need:
• 500 g flour
• 3 Eggs
• 70g of black garlic cream
• 400g of Mantuan pumpkin
• 4 Macaroons
• 75g of freshly grated Parmesan
• 20g Pumpkin mustard
• 200g of Milk
• 400g of Squacquerone
• White garlic
• Rosemary
• Nutmeg, garlic peels and aromatic herbs

First, on a pastry board, start working the dough forming a flour fountain with eggs in the center, then add the cream of Nero di Voghiera and knead for a few minutes. Form a sphere and let it rest for 30 minutes, then roll it out with a rolling pin.
Prepare the filling by cooking the pumpkin in a static oven at 170 degrees for about thirty minutes, then gently flavor with rosemary and Nero di Voghiera garlic peels. Blend it together with the macaroons, mustard and Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and a pinch of nutmeg.
Prepare the tortelli (use the procedure explained in the other two recipes), then place a pot with salt water and separately heat the milk to 80°C, dissolving the squacquerone inside with a pinch of salt, blending until a smooth cream is obtained.
Cook the tortelli, then sauté them in a pan with oil, garlic, rosemary and some cooking water, obtaining an aromatic emulsion.
Serve the tortelli in a deep plate on a bed of squacquerone cream, then decorate with the aromatic herbs and some of the emulsion obtained. This dish will be a truly unique sensory experience.

These are just a few of the variations of pumpkin tortelli in circulation. In our small way, we have tried to give you a general overview of what classic and haute cuisine recipes are, but as always, the secret ingredient is your desire to experiment!
So, let us know: what is your heart recipe

S&M