Pumpkin and Sage Tortellini

I really wish it was possible to make pumpkin dishes year round, but then again, it might be their seasonal nature that makes them all the more special?
With the pasta maker at hand, pumpkin-filled ravioli and tortellini have now taken over pumpkin soup and became the new favourite of the season. Pumpkin and sage filling, wrapped into spinach pasta is an absolute hit!

You need:

1 portion of green and white pasta (the recipe is in the Pasta Frenzy Continues)
about 1 kilo pumpkin
3 tbs oil
2 tbsp dried sage
1 egg yolk, beaten
25 g grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp grated nutmeg
a handful of fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper

Preparation:

Begin the preparation with the pumpkin. Peel and dice the pumpkin, then place it on the baking tray greased with 3tbsp oil, season and sprinkle dried sage on top. Put the pumpkin into a the oven and bake it for about 40-45 minutes in 180C, until pumpkin is completely soft. Leave to cool, move the pumpkin to a large bowl and squash it with a fork, add the egg yolk, nutmeg, grated Parmesan and chopped sage leaves. Season to taste.

Flour the surface, roll the pasta dough as thin as possible, if you're using a pasta maker roll the dough through number 9 setting. Cut the dough into small squares (remember that they will swell up during cooking) and place a teaspoon of pumpkin filling leaving the edges clear. To make the edges stick together better, they may be brushed with a tiny amount of water. Put the edges together diagonally, so as you form a small triangle. Press the edges together, careful not to let the filling spill out. Then pinch together the two corners on the longer side.

Fill a large pan with water, add a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of olive oil, bring to boil. Put in the tortellinis, reduce the heat and cook until the tortellini start floating. Drain and serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Alternatively you may pour sage butter or tomato sauce on top of the tortellini.

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