Pumpkin Tortellini in Chicken Broth

- 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or freshly prepared
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
- 1 large egg, separated
- A few gratings of fresh nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 40 round wonton (gyoza) wrappers
- 8 cups Homemade Chicken Stock
- Finely chopped fresh rosemary, for garnish
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions:
Pumpkin tortellini are very popular in northern Italy, although
the authentic filling recipe can be on the sweet side, flavored with amaretti cookie crumbs and an unusual fruit relish called mostarda.
- To make the tortellini, line a baking sheet with wax paper and dust it with cornstarch. In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, the egg yolk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place the egg white in a small bowl and beat until foamy. Using a small pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of one wonton wrapper with egg white. Place a teaspoon of the pumpkin filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper so the edges meet and enclose the filling, and firmly press the edges to seal, making a half moon–shaped dumpling. Place a dab of egg white on one corner of the tortellini. Curve the tortellini around your index finger so the two corners meet, and press them together. Place the tortellini on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat the procedure with the remaining filling and wrappers. (The tortellini can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated.)
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to very low and keep hot. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. One at a time, quickly drop the tortellini into the boiling water (don’t dump the tortellini into the water all at once or you’ll get too much cornstarch into the cooking water). Reduce the heat to medium and gently cook the tortellini until the pasta is tender and the filling is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tortellini to a warmed soup tureen. Pour the hot broth into the tureen.
- Ladle the tortellini and broth into warmed soup bowls, and sprinkle with rosemary. Serve hot, passing the Parmesan at the table.