Mantova, Lombardia — tortelli di zucca are the Christmas pasta of Mantova, documented from the 16th century in the Gonzaga court records. The sweet-savoury filling with mostarda di Cremona and amaretti reflects the Renaissance culinary tradition of Lombardia, where sweet and savoury were combined in elegant court preparations.
Tortelli di zucca (tortelli filled with pumpkin) are the most celebrated pasta of Mantova — a sweet-savoury filled pasta with a filling of roasted butternut or maxima pumpkin, mostarda di Cremona (candied fruits in mustard syrup), crushed amaretti biscuits, Parmigiano Reggiano, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. The filling combines sweet (pumpkin, amaretti), sharp (mostarda), savoury (Parmigiano), and aromatic (nutmeg) elements in a combination that preserves the medieval sweet-and-savoury tradition. The pasta is dressed with butter and sage, and the Parmigiano that finishes the dish counterbalances the filling's sweetness. It is a Christmas pasta specific to Mantova.
Tortelli di zucca dressed with butter and sage arrives on the plate golden and fragrant — the butter sauce simple enough to let the filling speak. The first bite opens onto the pumpkin sweetness, then the mustard heat of the mostarda arrives unexpectedly, then the bitter almond of the amaretti, then the Parmigiano sharpness. The combination is completely original and perfectly balanced. It is one of the most complex-flavoured pasta preparations in Italian cooking.
Roast butternut or Cucurbita maxima pumpkin at 180°C until very dry (1-1.5 hours) — the pumpkin must be as dry as possible. Scoop flesh; press through a mouli or sieve. Combine with finely chopped mostarda di Cremona (fruits only, minimal syrup), crushed amaretti, grated Parmigiano, nutmeg, and salt. The filling should taste balanced — sweet but not dessert-sweet; the mostarda provides the acidity and mustard heat that balances the pumpkin's sweetness. Make egg pasta dough (1 egg per 100g 00 flour); roll thin. Fill with small portions (1 teaspoon) of filling; seal in squares. Dress with melted butter browned with fresh sage; finish with abundant Parmigiano.
Mostarda di Cremona (whole candied fruits preserved in white wine and mustard oil) is the traditional component — it provides a burst of mustard heat within the sweet pumpkin filling. It is available from specialist Italian food suppliers. The amaretti used should be the dry, crunchy variety (amaretti di Saronno type) rather than the soft variety — they provide texture and a bitter almond note.
Pumpkin filling too wet — watery pumpkin makes the pasta soggy and the seal breaks; the pumpkin must be roasted dry. Mostarda proportion too high — the mostarda's mustard heat and sweetness can overwhelm; use sparingly. Not balancing the sweetness — the amaretti and pumpkin make the filling very sweet; the Parmigiano and nutmeg must balance this; under-seasoning produces a cloying filling.
Oretta Zanini de Vita, Encyclopedia of Pasta; Anna Gosetti della Salda, Le Ricette Regionali Italiane