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1
Halve the pumpkin and place cut-side down on a lined baking tray. Dry-roast in a hot oven until the flesh is completely tender and any surface moisture has evaporated. The flesh must be dry to the touch when pressed — no pooling liquid.
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2
Scoop the roasted flesh and pass it through a fine sieve or mouli. Spread the purée on a clean tray and allow any remaining moisture to continue evaporating at room temperature. The purée must hold its shape when a spoon is drawn through it — this is where the dish lives or dies: a wet filling will dissolve the pasta and collapse the sweet-savoury balance entirely.
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3
Combine the dry pumpkin purée with the crushed amaretti, diced mostarda di Cremona, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and freshly grated nutmeg. Mix thoroughly. The filling should be cohesive and firm, holding a clean quenelle shape. Rest overnight in the refrigerator, covered — the flavours integrate and the texture firms further.
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4
Work the flour and eggs to a smooth, elastic pasta dough. Rest, wrapped, for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll to a thin sheet — approximately 2 mm. The sheet should be supple and semi-translucent when held to light.
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5
Stamp or cut rounds from the pasta sheet. Place a small mound of filling at the centre of each round, fold to a half-moon, and press the edges firmly to seal, expelling any air. The seal must be tight and even — no trapped air pockets visible along the seam.
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6
Cook the tortelli in generously salted boiling water. They are ready when they rise and float and the pasta at the thickest seal point yields cleanly to a fingernail without resistance.
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7
While the tortelli cook, melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling, until the solids turn a deep hazelnut brown and the kitchen carries a distinct toasted-nut aroma. Add the sage leaves — they will crisp immediately. The butter must be genuinely brown, not pale gold: the hazelnut note is the structural counterweight to the sweet filling.
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8
Lift the tortelli directly into the brown butter. Toss gently to coat. Plate and finish with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano 36+ months. Serve immediately — the pasta continues to absorb butter as it sits.