As the evenings draw in and summer gives way to autumn, a bowl of pasta becomes the ultimate comfort food. From slow-simmered ragùs to silky sauces, pasta dishes celebrate the season's bounty. Among the recipes featured in a recent collection is Angela Hartnett's pumpkin tortelli, a dish that chef Paul Ainsworth recalls making with her for charity.
The tortelli filling combines roasted pumpkin with ricotta, Parmesan, biscotti, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice. The pasta dough is made from flour, eggs, and olive oil, rolled thin and filled before being shaped into individual tortelli. The dish is served with a traditional pesto or wild garlic pesto when in season.
To prepare, dice pumpkin and roast with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme for about 1½ hours until soft. Mash with a fork, then mix with ricotta, Parmesan, crushed biscotti, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice. For the pasta, blend flour, salt, and olive oil, then add whisked eggs gradually to form a dough. Knead, rest, then roll out to 2mm thickness using a pasta machine.
Pipe the filling onto the dough, fold over, and cut into 5cm segments. Boil the tortelli for 2½ minutes, then drain. In a frying pan, melt butter until foaming, add the tortelli, and serve with pesto. This recipe is ideal for the transitional season, offering comfort and freshness in every bite.
