Butternut Squash Tortelli with Brown Butter, Wild Mushrooms and Crispy Sage

Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 servings
Total: 2 hr 50 min (includes resting time)
Active: 1 hr 40 min

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving
Serving Size: 1 of 4 servings
Calories: 1721
Total Fat: 125 g
Saturated Fat: 50 g
Carbohydrates: 121 g
Dietary Fiber: 12 g
Sugar: 7 g
Protein: 36 g
Cholesterol: 411 mg
Sodium: 1366 mg

Indulge in the pure joy of handmade pasta with these butternut squash tortellia labor of love that rewards you with silky pillows of sweet, earthy filling. Roasted squash blends seamlessly with creamy mascarpone and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, crowned by a luxurious brown butter sauce, fragrant sage crisps, and savory wild mushrooms. Perfect for captivating dinner guests and creating unforgettable moments around the table. Buon appetito!

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 1/2 cups (454 grams) "00" flour, plus more for dusting
5 large eggs (258 grams), beaten
2 sticks unsalted butter
30 fresh sage leaves
5 ounces mixed wild mushrooms
3/4 cup canola oil

Special equipment: a piping bag; a pasta machine

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
For the filling: Combine the squash, olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Place the mixture in a large bowl and stir in the mascarpone, Parmesan, pecorino, white pepper and nutmeg. Mix until well blended. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then transfer the filling to a piping bag and set aside.
For the dough: Sift the flour onto your work surface, forming a mound with a large well in the center.
Pour the beaten eggs into the well. Using a fork, gradually mix the flour into the eggs, incorporating a little at a time until the mixture resembles pancake batter. Scrape any flour from the fork into the dough.
Use a bench scraper to gather any remaining flour into the dough. Work the dough in a clockwise motion, cutting, folding and scraping, until it forms a shaggy mass, about 2 to 3 minutes. Some parts may be wet, others floury. Scrape any dough from the scraper into the mass.
Knead the dough with both hands, pulling the far end toward you, folding it over, and pushing it away with the heels of your palms. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat for 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes a compact mass. The dough should be slightly tacky. Continue kneading until it reaches a smooth, leather-like texture, indicating gluten development, for another 3 to 5 minutes. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
After resting, lightly flour the work surface. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each through a pasta machine on the widest setting until you have a long, medium-thick sheet. Fold each side of the sheet inward to meet in the middle, then fold in half. Run through the machine a few times until the sheet is medium-thick again. Trim the ends to square off the sheet. Pass the pasta through, reducing the thickness each time, until it is thin enough to see your hand through but not so thin that it breaks when filled. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces until you have four sheets of pasta on the floured surface.
Cut the pasta sheets into sixteen 3- to 4-inch squares. Pipe about a tablespoon of the butternut squash filling into the center of each square. Moisten the edges with water, then fold the dough over the filling to form a triangle, pressing the edges to seal. Bring the two opposite corners of each triangle together and press to seal, creating a tortelli shape. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling until all tortelli are formed.
For the sauce: Melt the butter in a large saut pan over medium heat. Chop 10 of the sage leaves and add them to the butter. Lower the heat to medium and cook gently until the butter foams, turns golden brown, and develops a nutty aroma, about 5 to 8 minutes (be careful not to burn). Remove the pan from the heat until ready to use.
For the mushrooms: Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the browned butter into a saut pan and place over medium heat. Smash the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the crushed garlic.
Heat the canola oil in a shallow frying pan over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining whole sage leaves. Fry until crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes, then remove and drain on paper towels until ready to use.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then carefully add the tortelli in batches with a slotted spoon and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until they float to the surface and are cooked through. Remove the cooked tortelli with a slotted spoon and transfer directly to serving plates, four per plate. Dress with the brown butter sage sauce and the wild mushrooms. Garnish with the reserved crispy sage leaves and freshly grated Parmesan.