Recipe: Pumpkin-Stuffed Pasta with Meat Sauce (Tortellini di Zucca con Ragu)

PUMPKIN-STUFFED PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE
(TORTELLINI DI ZUCCA CON RAGU)

"Valeggio Sul Mincio, near Verona, is a quaint and historic town on the banks of the Mincio River. Every June, thousands gather there to take part in La Festa del Ponte (The Bridge Party) and La Festa del Tortellino (The Little Cake Party), which commemorates a battle fought on the bridge by Napoleon Bonaparte. To celebrate, everyone eats tortellini (little cakes) at long communal tables that span the length of the bridge, and revel in a gigantic fireworks display over the river. One of the restaurants that cooks up its share of tortellini is Ristorante Alla Borsa. Overseeing the whole operation is Albena and her daughter, Nadia. Their tortellini are thin, silky pieces of sunflower-yellow egg pasta stuffed with three types of fillings; the ground beef, veal, pork, and kidney mixture is a wonderful balance of flavors, while the bright green spinach tortellini are a more delicate version filled with smooth-as-cream ricotta cheese. But for me the show-stopper is the plump tortellini filled with pureed pumpkin and an apple mostarda served with a long-simmered ragu. The combination of the slightly sweet filing and the rich meat ragu is more than a fitting marriage of flavors. It is sure genius."



"To make pumpkin-filled tortellini, use pie pumpkin, acorn, or butternut squash. The tortellini can be made ahead and frozen for future use. This is a special first course for a fall or winter dinner. To save steps, the pumpkin filling and the ragu can be made several days ahead."

Makes 12 to 13 dozen tortellini

FOR THE FILLING:
2 cups pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated white pepper
1 cup grated Cortland apple

FOR THE RAGU (makes 4 1/2 cups)
1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon)
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 medium rib celery
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground pork or beef
Fine sea salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry red wine
14 ounces tomatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk or cream

FOR THE PASTA DOUGH:
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

TO MAKE THE RAGU:
Mince the pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery together. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-size earthenware, cast iron, or other heavy-duty pot. Over low heat, cook the minced vegetable mixture, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Add the ground meat, salt, and pepper and brown the meat completely.

Stir in the wine and cook to let it completely evaporate.

Stir in the tomatoes, cover the and pot, and cook the ragu over very low heat for 45 minutes.

Stir in the milk or cream and heat through.

TO PREPARE THE PASTA DOUGH:
To prepare the dough in a food processor, whirl the eggs with the salt until the eggs are foamy. Add the flour 1 cup at a time until the mixture forms a ball of dough that leaves the sides of the processor. You may not need all of the flour--it will all depend on how the flour was measured (3.5 to 4 ounces per cup) and the size of the eggs. Feel the dough. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, you will not be able to seal the edges of the pasta to hold the filling. Add a little water if dough seems dry.

If making the dough by hand, beat the eggs in a bowl, then adding the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing it in with your hands until a ball of dough is formed. Knead as above.

Remove the dough from the bowl of the food processor and knead it by hand on a work surface for about 4 minutes. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, cover it with a bowl, and let it rest for 30 minutes. This step will relax the gluten in the dough allow it to be easily rolled out.

TO MAKE, CUT, AND ROLL THE DOUGH AND FORM THE TORTELLINI:
Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Work with one piece of dough at a time and keep the rest covered to prevent the pieces from drying out. Use a hand-crank pasta machine or a rolling pin and roll each piece of dough out into 5 or 6-inch-wide strips that are not more than 1/16 inch thick; this is a number 7 or 8 setting on a standard pasta machine. Another indicator of thinness is being able to see your hand behind the thinned-out sheet. Do not roll thin that the filling will pop through it.

Use a 3-inch round cutter and cut circles from the dough. Place a measured teaspoon full of the filling in the center of each circle. Fold the dough over the filling to create a turnover and seal the edges with your fingers. Mark all around the outside edge with the tines of a fork. As you make the tortelloni, place them in single layers on towel-lined cookie sheets. Gather up the scraps and make more tortelloni. To freeze the tortelloni for future use, cover the towel-lined trays loosely with aluminum foil and place them in the freezer for several hours. When the tortelloni are hard transfer them to double-lined, heavy-duty, plastic zipper-lock bags and store them until needed. When ready to boil, take out what is needed and cook them frozen; do not allow them to thaw.

Place a scant 1/2 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each circle, Fold the dough in half over the filling to make a half moon, pinch the edges closed. Then bring the two opposite ends together and pinch them together.

As you make them, line the tortellini up on cookie sheets. May be frozen for future use.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
For 4 to 6 servings, heat 2 cups of the ragu and keep it warm while the tortellini are cooking. The remainder of the sauce can be frozen or used in other recipes, such as those for cooked rice.

Bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a boil in a pasta pot. Add 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt and 4 dozen of the tortellini. Cook for no longer than 2 minutes. Scoop the tortellini out of the water and transfer them to a warm, shallow platter.

Pour the sauce over the top and gently mix with 2 large spoons. Serve immediately.

Note: Use a dab of water to help seal the edges of filled pasta dough.

Makes 12 to 13 dozen tortellini and 4 1/2 cups Sauce
Adapted from source: Ciao Italia: Bringing Italy Home by Mary Ann Espisito