The process of making tortellini does require some patience and time. However, the end result is worth every fiddly moment. If everyone gets involved in an assembly line to fill up the table, it speeds up the process and allows for a wonderfully intimate and fun afternoon together.
The fulsome sage butter is soft and simple, allowing the pumpkin tortellini to shine through. The fried sage leaves add a nice crunch that contrasts with the tortellini’s silkiness.
roasted pumpkin tortellini with sage butter
4 servings
The inspiration for this post is found here.
ingredients
½ portion pasta dough
pumpkin filling
1 kg pumpkin
1 Tbsp melted ghee/butter
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp fine rock salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
sage butter and toasted leaves
60g unsalted butter
40 sage leaves – divided
salt and pepper, to taste
4 Tbsp peanut oil
to serve
few rounds of black pepper
a sprinkling of fine rock salt
preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
prepare the filling
- Slice the unpeeled pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then slice each half into 5-6 wedges and place in a large bowl. Drizzle over the melted ghee or butter and toss with your hands until the wedges are sufficiently coated.
- Arrange on a lined baking tray and roast for 30 – 40 minutes until soft. Allow to cool, scooping the pulp away from its skin with a spoon. Place in a medium bowl, pureeing until smooth with a hand blender. Allow to drain through a cloth or fine sieve for 1 hour.
- Return the pumpkin to the bowl and sprinkle over the nutmeg, salt, and pepper; stir to combine.
prepare the dough
- Divide it into thirds. Work with one piece at a time and keep the other pieces covered. Follow the detailed instructions here. Roll your dough as thin as possible—# 6 on a pasta roller.
shape the tortellini
- Cut the pasta sheet into rounds using a 3-inch cutter or tin. Gather the scraps into a ball and put them with the remaining pieces of dough to roll later.
fill the tortellini
- Place one teaspoon of filling in the middle of each round. (Don’t be tempted to overfill; otherwise, they will break, and you will have difficulty sealing them.) Dip your finger in a water bowl and run it along the edges of the circle. Fold the rounds into a crescent shape, pressing the top together carefully, pressing out any air trapped inside, and then working along the sides. Bend the bottom two corners round to meet each other and press well to seal. Set aside, spacing them apart slightly, on a well-floured board, covered.
- Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, re-rolling the scraps. (It is important to work on a well-floured surface to avoid the tortellini sticking as you repeat with remaining pieces of dough.) Cover with a cloth, or lightly dust them with semolina flour if you are making them a few hours in advance.
when ready to cook
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, make the sage butter.
prepare the sage butter
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add half the sage leaves and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
toast the remaining sage leaves
- In a small skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat and fry 6 – 8 sage leaves until crisp, 2–3 seconds. Transfer with a fork to paper towels.
- Once the water is boiling, gently drop the tortellini and cook for 1 ½ – 2 minutes—they will rise to the top. Gently lift out with a slotted spoon onto individual plates.
to serve
- Drizzle with the sage butter, sprinkle over a few spoons of pine nut parmesan and a few rounds of pepper, and decorate with the crispy sage leaves. The tortellini goes well with a plate of sauteed kale or nettles.
