Tortelli di Zucca Mantovani
Mantua, Emilia-Romagna
Mantua's sweet-savoury filled pasta: egg pasta filled with roasted butternut squash purée, crushed amaretti biscuits, mostarda di Cremona (candied fruit in mustard syrup), Parmigiano Reggiano, and nutmeg. The filling is a deliberate Renaissance-era sweet-savoury combination that was once fashionable throughout the Po Valley courts. Served traditionally with melted butter and sage, never with cream. The mustard-fruit in the filling creates a warmth that is not conventional spice heat — a unique flavour register.