Donna Walsifer
pièce de résistance
I am so proud of myself! A few weeks ago, a saw a reel on Instagram stories by “Pasta Grannies.” Pasta Grannies is a team headed by Vicky Bennison that captures Italian Nonna’s (grandmas) and occasionally Nonno’s (grandpa’s) as they prepare pasta from scratch). In a recent episode, Nonna Laura was preparing Tortellini Mantovani with Pumpkin. I was intrigued as I had all this pumpkin puree and was in the market for some new recipes. Luckily for me in the video, Laura gave the ingredients and quantity as she prepared the pasta dough and filling. I was able to pause the videos on YouTube to capture every detail.
For the pasta dough you’ll need 350 grams of 00 flour, 3 eggs whisked and a few drops of water to bring the dough together. The dough is kneaded for 5 minutes then rests for an hour. I used my KitchenAide Mixer to just bring the dough together, then kneaded by hand until the dough was supple and smooth. I used my manual pasta machine to roll the dough into sheets.
For the pasta dough you’ll need 350 grams of 00 flour, 3 eggs whisked and a few drops of water to bring the dough together. The dough is kneaded for 5 minutes then rests for an hour. I used my KitchenAide Mixer to just bring the dough together, then kneaded by hand until the dough was supple and smooth. I used my manual pasta machine to roll the dough into sheets.
The filling is made with 300 grams of pumpkin (you can use canned), 100 grams of amaretti biscuits, 80 grams Mostarda , 25 grams of Grana Padano cheese, 25 grams of breadcrumbs, a few scrapping of nutmeg and lemon zest from half of a lemon. The 00 flour can be found in the baking aisle of your local super market; I got mine at Wegmans. I found the amaretti biscuits at Uncle Giuseppe’s Market in Tinton Falls an Italian specialty market. My local food stores didn’t carry them. The bag I purchased at Uncle Giuseppe’s was $2.99 for 7-ounces. I used my food processor to grind the amaretti into a powder. The filling needs to made early in the day as it requires a resting period of 1/2 a day. I prepared my filling the day ahead.
The Mostarda was trickier as it too has to be purchased at an Italian specialty shop. Mostarda is a sweet and sour spread made by caramelizing fruit with sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds and Dijon mustard as the main ingredients. When I did an online search for it at Uncle Guiseppe’s it said they didn’t carry it. Eataly carried it, but it was $22 a jar plus $15 shipping. I did an internet search and came across a recipe that I thought would be complementary to the pumpkin filling. The recipe was found on the website Food52 for Apple Mostarda. For the Mostarda you’ll need a lemon, 2 Fuji apples, granulated sugar, sherry vinegar, unsulphured raisins, water, grappa (You can substitute brandy, apple brandy, cognac or omit, I had just enough brandy in a bottle), neutral oil, whole brown mustard seeds, a shallot, Dijon mustard and unsalted butter.
I started preparing the recipe by first making the Mostarda. The lemon was peeled into long strips while avoiding getting any of the pith underneath the strips. They were cut into toothpick wide strips. The apples were peeled, cored and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces. These along with the lemon pieces and sugar and vinegar were all mixed together. The raisins were plumped in warm water and the grappa/brandy was stirred together and set aside.
In a saucepan, the mustard seeds were gently toasted followed by the apple and raisin mixture and shallots and cooked for approximately 25 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates. The Dijon and butter are added and cooked for additional 10 minutes. The aroma was heavenly and the taste was both sweet and sour.
Finally, all my preliminary preparation was done, time to make the pasta. The dough was very easy to handle. I’ve learned that you need to add enough flour to the surface of the dough so it doesn’t get wrapped around the rollers of the pasta machine. Also, Laura indicated that you don’t want the dough too thin, I stopped just before the last setting on my machine. When Laura made her pasta, she placed dollops of pumpkin down the strip of rolled pasta, then folded the pasta over the filling. Using a pastry cutter, she cut the pasta to make ravioli. I tried it, but mine weren’t as uniform in size as Laura’s, so I switched to my “vintage” ravioli stamp from my mother. I preferred the continuity of size using the stamp. I also took the dough remnants and kneaded and rolled them out again into pasta strips. The ratio of pasta dough to filling was perfect, I only had a small amount of remaining pasta dough.
The ravioli was cooked in salted boiling water for five minutes; I test one to see if the pasta was al dente. Using my LeCreuset braiser, I made a butter sauce using a stick of unsalted butter and a handful of sage leaves. When the ravioli were done, I used my spider strainer to transfer the ravioli to the butter sauce and gently toss and garnished with Parmesan cheese.
My goodness, the pasta was absolutely delicious! The amaretti added a lovely, subtle sweetness to the filling. The Mostarda provided a flavorful sweet and sour taste and the apples complemented the pumpkin filling. My husband love this preparation too.
The Mostarda was trickier as it too has to be purchased at an Italian specialty shop. Mostarda is a sweet and sour spread made by caramelizing fruit with sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds and Dijon mustard as the main ingredients. When I did an online search for it at Uncle Guiseppe’s it said they didn’t carry it. Eataly carried it, but it was $22 a jar plus $15 shipping. I did an internet search and came across a recipe that I thought would be complementary to the pumpkin filling. The recipe was found on the website Food52 for Apple Mostarda. For the Mostarda you’ll need a lemon, 2 Fuji apples, granulated sugar, sherry vinegar, unsulphured raisins, water, grappa (You can substitute brandy, apple brandy, cognac or omit, I had just enough brandy in a bottle), neutral oil, whole brown mustard seeds, a shallot, Dijon mustard and unsalted butter.
I started preparing the recipe by first making the Mostarda. The lemon was peeled into long strips while avoiding getting any of the pith underneath the strips. They were cut into toothpick wide strips. The apples were peeled, cored and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces. These along with the lemon pieces and sugar and vinegar were all mixed together. The raisins were plumped in warm water and the grappa/brandy was stirred together and set aside.
In a saucepan, the mustard seeds were gently toasted followed by the apple and raisin mixture and shallots and cooked for approximately 25 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates. The Dijon and butter are added and cooked for additional 10 minutes. The aroma was heavenly and the taste was both sweet and sour.
Finally, all my preliminary preparation was done, time to make the pasta. The dough was very easy to handle. I’ve learned that you need to add enough flour to the surface of the dough so it doesn’t get wrapped around the rollers of the pasta machine. Also, Laura indicated that you don’t want the dough too thin, I stopped just before the last setting on my machine. When Laura made her pasta, she placed dollops of pumpkin down the strip of rolled pasta, then folded the pasta over the filling. Using a pastry cutter, she cut the pasta to make ravioli. I tried it, but mine weren’t as uniform in size as Laura’s, so I switched to my “vintage” ravioli stamp from my mother. I preferred the continuity of size using the stamp. I also took the dough remnants and kneaded and rolled them out again into pasta strips. The ratio of pasta dough to filling was perfect, I only had a small amount of remaining pasta dough.
The ravioli was cooked in salted boiling water for five minutes; I test one to see if the pasta was al dente. Using my LeCreuset braiser, I made a butter sauce using a stick of unsalted butter and a handful of sage leaves. When the ravioli were done, I used my spider strainer to transfer the ravioli to the butter sauce and gently toss and garnished with Parmesan cheese.
My goodness, the pasta was absolutely delicious! The amaretti added a lovely, subtle sweetness to the filling. The Mostarda provided a flavorful sweet and sour taste and the apples complemented the pumpkin filling. My husband love this preparation too.
Sweet & Savoury Tortelli with Pumpkin and Amaretti
Tortelli Mantovani with Pumpkin
From Pasta Grannie/Laura
Filling
300 grams pumpkin
100 grams amaretti biscuits
80 grams mustard (candy apple in a mustard syrup)
25 grams grana Padano cheese
25 grams Breadcrumbs
Nutmeg, a few scrapings
Lemon zest – from ½ a lemon
Make early in the day as it needs to rest for ½ a day.
Pasta Dough
350 grams 00 flour
3 eggs, whisked
A few drops of water to bring dough together
For the dressing:
60 grams unsalted butter
A few sage leaves
Grana Padano Cheese
Knead for 5 minutes. Let dough rest for an hour.
1 teaspoon of filling on dough strip, 3cm between dollops. Fold over dough, and using pastry cutter, cut into squares.
Butter and sag sauce. Cook pasta for minimum of 5 minutes; taste to see if al dente.
Tortelli Mantovani with Pumpkin
From Pasta Grannie/Laura
Filling
300 grams pumpkin
100 grams amaretti biscuits
80 grams mustard (candy apple in a mustard syrup)
25 grams grana Padano cheese
25 grams Breadcrumbs
Nutmeg, a few scrapings
Lemon zest – from ½ a lemon
Make early in the day as it needs to rest for ½ a day.
Pasta Dough
350 grams 00 flour
3 eggs, whisked
A few drops of water to bring dough together
For the dressing:
60 grams unsalted butter
A few sage leaves
Grana Padano Cheese
Knead for 5 minutes. Let dough rest for an hour.
1 teaspoon of filling on dough strip, 3cm between dollops. Fold over dough, and using pastry cutter, cut into squares.
Butter and sag sauce. Cook pasta for minimum of 5 minutes; taste to see if al dente.
Apple Mostarda
From the website Food52
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
1 lemon, preferably organic, washed and dried
2 Fuji apples
5 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup unsulphured raisins (I used Thompson)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon grappa (can substitute brandy, apple brandy, cognac or omit)
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoon whole brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
From the website Food52
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
1 lemon, preferably organic, washed and dried
2 Fuji apples
5 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup unsulphured raisins (I used Thompson)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon grappa (can substitute brandy, apple brandy, cognac or omit)
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoon whole brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
- With a vegetable peeler, remove long (end to end) strips of lemon peel, being careful not to get any pith. Continue around the whole lemon. I had eight strips. Stack strips and thinly cut crosswise (toothpick width). You should have about ¼ cup.
- Peel and core apples. Finely chop into uniform pieces about 1/4”. You should have a little more than 2 cups. Place in a glass bowl; add lemon pieces, sugar and vinegar. Stir to combine.
- In a 1 cup pyrex measure heat ¼ cup water in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Add raisins and grappa. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan, temper mustard seeds by heating oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cook for about a minute. Seeds should sputter a bit. Scrape in apple mixture, raisin mixture and shallots. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add Dijon mustard and butter and cook for 10 minutes more. Let mostarda cool a bit before enjoying or transferring to a clean glass jar with a lid. Enjoy warm or at room temperature with cheese and bread, or grilled or roasted meat