Pumpkin Tortelli with Mostarda and Lemon Zest

Name: Pumpkin Tortelli with Mostarda and Lemon Zest
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 125 min
Total time: 185 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups; Eggs 3; Fine salt 1 pinch; Mantuan pumpkin to be cleaned 0.7 lb; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese for grating 1.4 oz; Cremona mustard 2 tbsp; Amaretti cookies 2; Nutmeg to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Butter 2 tbsp; Sage to taste; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese (to be grated) 1.5 oz; Lemon peel to taste

it de es fr br

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 2 h 5 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Cesare Battisti

Pumpkin tortelli, a classic from Mantua in Lombardy, is where folks really master the balance between sweet and savory. It's like, this Italian stuffed pasta features a delicious mix of roasted pumpkin, crushed amaretti cookies, and mustard fruit—or mostarda, that local spicy-sweet fruit stuff. And honestly, it is got a tangy kick. Totally unique Mantuan twist. A sprinkle of lemon zest makes the flavors pop. So good. It adds a fresh note to every bite.

You know, it's the combination that's moist from the pumpkin, crumbly from the biscuits, and with just enough zing from the mustardy fruit. You’ll find this dish at holiday tables and family gatherings all across Mantua. Which is great. It's special, yet not overly fancy.

And in Lombardy? They usually go for this traditional sage butter sauce with their pumpkin tortelli. They let the butter get all golden and fragrant before pouring it over the pasta and topping it with grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Others might go for a simple tomato sauce. Really depends. No question. But either way, the flavors in these homemade tortelli shine because of how the pumpkin and mustard fruit play off each other, making every bite surprising and always tender.

In regional Italian cuisine, creativity is key—people love to add their own twists, like extra lemon zest or switching up the sauce depending on what’s around. It's pretty simple. This traditional recipe, though, invites you to be creative while staying true to its roots. Whether you call it pumpkin ravioli or Mantua-style tortelli, this dish is about making something special from simple ingredients. It's for sharing with folks who appreciate a good mix of flavors. Seriously, each bite is a journey into Lombardy’s culinary heritage, celebrating the region's love for bold and distinctive tastes.

INGREDIENTS

For the fresh pasta (for about 40 tortelli): Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups (300 g); Eggs 3; Fine salt 1 pinch

For the filling: Mantuan pumpkin 0.7 lb (300 g) - to be cleaned; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.4 oz (40 g) - for grating; Cremona mustard 2 tbsp (30 g); Amaretti cookies 2; Nutmeg to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For dressing: Butter 2 tbsp (30 g); Sage to taste; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.5 oz (40 g) - (to be grated); Lemon peel to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Pumpkin Tortelli with Mostarda and Lemon Zest

To prepare the pumpkin tortelli with mostarda and lemon zest, start with cooking the pumpkin: remove the seeds and internal fibers 1, then season the flesh with salt 2 and a drizzle of oil 3.

Add a few sage leaves as well 4 and transfer the pumpkin to a baking tray, cut side up 5. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 284°F for about 2 hours, or until it is very soft. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool 6.

In the meantime, work on the fresh pasta: pour the flour onto the work surface, form a well and add a pinch of salt in the center 7 and the beaten eggs 8. Begin incorporating the flour into the eggs by mixing gently with a fork 9.

When all the liquid has been absorbed, continue working first with a bench scraper 10 and then with your hands 11 until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough 12. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and let it rest in a cool place for half an hour.

At this point the pumpkin will have cooled slightly, so scoop the flesh out with a spoon 13 and collect it in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg 14 and grated Parmigiano Reggiano 15.

Add the crumbled amaretti cookies 16 and the mostarda, finely chopped 17, then mix with a spoon to combine everything well 18. Store the filling in the refrigerator until ready to use.

After the resting time, take the dough and roll it out slightly on the work surface 19. Pass it through the rollers of a pasta machine starting from the widest setting until you obtain a thin sheet about 0.1–0.2 mm thick (approximately 0.004–0.008 in) 20. Cut the sheet to obtain squares about 2 3/8 inches (6 cm) per side 21.

Squeeze a small portion of filling into the center of each square (you can use a piping bag or a teaspoon) 22. Fold the square into a triangle, slightly offsetting the tips 23, then press firmly along the edges to push out all the air 34.

Wrap the ends around your finger 25 and pinch them together to seal 26. Continue this way to form all the tortelli; with these quantities you will obtain about 40 27.

You're ready to cook: bring a pot of salted water to a boil, while in a pan gently melt the butter 28. Add the sage leaves to the melted butter 29 and let it turn a light brown (hazelnut) color. Meanwhile cook the tortelli in the boiling water for 2–3 minutes 30.

Drain the tortelli 31 and plate: cover the tortelli with plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano 32, then pour the melted butter with the sage leaves over them 33.

Finish with a few drops of the mostarda syrup 34 and the grated lemon zest 35. Your pumpkin tortelli with mostarda and lemon zest are ready to be enjoyed hot 36!

Storage

It is recommended to consume the tortelli with mostarda and lemon zest immediately. If necessary, you can keep them in the refrigerator for one day.

Raw pumpkin tortelli can be stored in the refrigerator for one day; keep in mind that the cooking time will be longer in this case. Alternatively, you can freeze them and consume them within a few days, cooking them directly from frozen.