Pumpkin Tortelli: A Festive Handmade Pasta Delight

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper.

Carefully peel your chosen pumpkin or butternut squash and cut it into manageable pieces for easy handling. Remove the seeds and dice the flesh into uniform cubes. Spread these cubes evenly on the prepared baking sheet.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season lightly with sea salt. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and caramelized at the edges, enhancing its signature sweetness. Let cool slightly.

Transfer the roasted pumpkin to a mixing bowl. Mash thoroughly with a potato masher or fork until you achieve a smooth purée. Adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed. Once the mixture has cooled, fold in a generous handful of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for added depth and flavor. Set the filling aside.

Tip: Traditionalists prefer Mantuan pumpkin, but acorn squash or butternut work beautifully as substitutes.

Sift together high-quality Italian '00' flour and fine semolina in a medium bowl. Form a well in the center of the mound.

Crack the egg into the well. With a fork, gradually draw the flour into the egg, stirring from the edges inward until a rough dough forms. Switch to using your hands, kneading the dough on a lightly floured surface until it becomes smooth, elastic, and supple—this should take about 10 minutes.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Resting allows the gluten to relax, resulting in silkier, more pliable pasta sheets.

Lightly flour your work surface to prevent sticking, using just enough flour to handle the dough comfortably.

Unwrap the rested dough and shape it into a rectangle, roughly matching the width of your pasta roller. Roll out the dough into thin sheets using a pasta machine, dusting both the dough and the rollers with semolina as needed to keep everything moving smoothly.

With a round pasta cutter, cut out circles from the pasta sheet. Place a teaspoon of the pumpkin filling in the center of each circle. Moisten the edges lightly with water using your fingertip.

Fold the pasta circles into half-moons, pressing the edges securely to seal. For the classic tortelli shape, pinch the two corners together, giving each piece a distinctive, traditional look.

In a medium sauté pan, gently melt a generous amount of unsalted butter over low heat. Infuse the butter with fresh rosemary sprigs and the aromatic zest of an orange—use a microplane for maximum flavor extraction.

To achieve the perfect consistency, stir in a few teaspoons of the reserved pasta cooking water, which adds silkiness and helps the sauce cling to the tortelli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Gently drop in the filled tortelli and cook for about 2–3 minutes, or until they float to the surface and are tender but still al dente.

Drain the pasta thoroughly, reserving some of the cooking water. Immediately transfer the tortelli to the pan with the orange butter sauce, tossing gently to coat each piece. If the sauce seems too thick, add a bit more pasta water to achieve a luscious, glossy finish.

Arrange the tortelli on warm plates, shower with extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and serve immediately for the ultimate Italian autumn feast.