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Culinary Tip of the
Week: Squash
Tortelli di Zucca
PASTA DOUGH:
1½ cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
Place flour and salt on countertop and make a well in the center. Crack eggs into the well and combine with a fork. Gradually incorporate flour into eggs with fork, keeping the well intact. Once dough is too stiff for the fork, begin to knead it with your hands. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, satiny, and soft to the touch. When cut in half, the dough should show no air holes or undeveloped strands of gluten. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
FILLING:
1 pumpkin or Butternut squash, approximately 2 lbs., peeled
1 pear or peach from a jar of Mostarda di Cremona,
finely chopped
¼ cup amaretti cookies,
ground
½ cup Grana Padano cheese, grated
¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
2 TBS raisins, chopped
½–1 whole lemon rind, grated
Salt and white pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs, toasted
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Cut the pumpkin or squash in quarters; remove seeds. Slice each quarter into ½-inch wedges and arrange them evenly in a buttered baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons water and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until tender, approximately for 30 minutes.
If the pumpkin/squash is too moist, drain and transfer it to a skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the water has evaporated. Let cool.
When the pumpkin/squash is cool, mash it with a fork and mix in the mostarda, amaretti, Grana Padano cheese, nutmeg, raisins, lemon rind, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix carefully; if the filling is too wet, mix in some breadcrumbs.
Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Roll one at a time, being careful to keep the others covered so they don't dry out. Roll out in sheets as thin as possible. Cut out rounds with a 3½-inch fluted cookie cutter. Reserve the scraps and rework them at the end, if needed (you will need at least 12 rounds per quarter of dough). Keep scraps covered at all times.
Place a “noce” (approximately 2 teaspoons) of filling just off center on each round. Fold the empty half over the filling to make a triangle shape. Moisten the edges to create a strong seal. Grasp each corner of the triangle and pull together to form a hat shape (like the Pope's hat). Pinch to seal. As you make the tortelli, keep them on a sheet between layers of cotton cloth. Cook in rapidly boiling salted water until al dente, 5–6 minutes or until tender. Strain and serve with melted butter and grated Grana Padano cheese.
SAUCE:
The traditional sauce for Tortelli Di Zucca is melted butter, sage, and grated Grana Padano cheese.
4 oz. butter
2 TBS breadcrumbs (no crust), optional
¼ cup slivered almonds, optional
Fresh sage leaves, julienned
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Grana Padano cheese, grated
Cook the butter in a large skillet until foamy. Toss the breadcrumbs, almonds, and julienned sage in the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the tortelli and serve with grated Grana Padano cheese.