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In Mantua, the Renaissance city of the Gonzaga on the plains of Lombardy, pumpkin is not a garnish. It is the filling of the city’s signature pasta, tortelli di zucca, traditionally served on Christmas Eve but eaten all through the autumn in the trattorias around Piazza delle Erbe.

The flavor is unlike any other pasta in Italy. The roasted squash is mixed with crushed amaretti biscuits, Parmigiano and mostarda, the mustard-spiked candied fruit of the Po Valley, so that each mouthful is sweet, savory and faintly hot at once. It is a taste that speaks of the old courts of northern Italy, where sugar and spice were signs of wealth, and it remains one of the region’s proudest dishes.

A detour worth making

Mantua is an easy day trip from Verona, less than an hour away by car or train, and a natural addition to a stay at the Four Seasons Milano. Order the tortelli wherever you see them and save room for the city’s crumbly almond cake, sbrisolona.

Choose a dense squash

Italian cooks use firm, sweet varieties with little water. Here, kabocha or a well-roasted butternut is the closest match. Roasting rather than boiling is essential: the filling must be dry enough to hold its shape.

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6.

For the filling

• 2 lb (900 g) kabocha or butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 3/4 cup (75 g) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more to serve
• 1/2 cup (40 g) crushed amaretti biscuits
• 2 tbsp finely chopped mostarda di frutta (or quince paste with a pinch of mustard powder)
• A generous grating of nutmeg
• Salt

For the pasta

• 3 cups (400 g) “00” flour
• 4 large eggs

To finish

• 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter
• 10 sage leaves

Method

1. Roast the squash. Heat the oven to 400°F. Roast the squash cut side down for 45 to 60 minutes, until very soft. Scoop out the flesh and let it steam dry for 10 minutes.
2. Make the filling. Mash the squash until smooth and mix in the Parmigiano, amaretti, mostarda, nutmeg and salt to taste. It should be thick enough to hold a spoon upright; add more cheese if not. Chill.
3. Make the dough. Mound the flour, crack the eggs into a well in the center and work into a smooth dough. Knead for 8 minutes, wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Roll and fill. Roll the dough thin enough to see your hand through it. Cut into 3-inch squares, place a teaspoon of filling on each, fold into triangles and press out the air.
5. Cook. Boil the tortelli in well-salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, until they float and the edges are tender.
6. Finish. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the sage until nutty and golden. Toss the drained tortelli in the butter and serve with more Parmigiano.

How to serve it

In warm shallow bowls, with nothing more than the sage butter and cheese. In Mantua they are a first course, followed by roast meat.

What to pour

A Lambrusco from nearby Emilia is the local choice, its bubbles cutting the butter. For a still white, try a Lugana from the southern shore of Lake Garda.

Make a menu of it

Follow the tortelli with our red wine braised short ribs for a long Sunday lunch, or compare it with the butternut squash risotto from Osteria Lupo. For more of northern Italy, read our stay at Passalacqua on Lake Como and find every seasonal recipe At the Table.

Photo: MS-R / Michael S-R, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0