Tortei

This homemade Italian inspired tortei (com recheio de abobora) recipe is absolutely delicious and perfect for the fall. I won’t lie, it’s a bit complex to make because we are making a homemade pasta dough first but it is definitely worth it. Tortei stuffed with pumpkin is one of those meals you make when you want to impress at the family gathering. I simplified this recipe as much as I could by using canned pumpkin puree instead of the traditional way which is to cook Kabocha until tender and mash it. You can certainly make it the traditional way but I just couldn’t find any Kabocha because it is not yet in season. Serve your homemade tortei with this Red Wine Pasta Sauce (with meat) and prepare to be amazed. And if you’re really in the spirit of fall, try making this Edible Pumpkin Cookie Dough for dessert.

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An Explanation Of The Ingredients

• Pumpkin Puree – Make your own if you can find kabocha at the grocery store or use canned pumpkin puree which will work just as well.
• Parmesan Cheese – Use freshly grated parmesan cheese.
• Salt – Add salt to taste.
• Nutmeg – A pinch of nutmeg in the pumpkin puree will give it great flavor.
• Garlic Cloves – Finely mince the garlic cloves.
• Flour – Mix the flour with the other ingredients to make the homemade pasta dough.
• Eggs – Combine the eggs with the flour.
• Water – Room temperature water works well.

Combine the eggs, flour, salt and water and knead until you form a ball of dough.

Combine the ingredients for the pumpkin filling.

After the dough has finished resting, roll it out.

This is about how thick the dough should be.

Spread the pumpkin filling over the dough just like this.

Roll the tortei (com receheio de abobora) as shown below.

Prepare the dish cloth into the shape of a triangle.

Roll the tortei into the dish towel.

Finish rolling the homemade pasta dough into the dish towel.

Securely tie the ends of the dish towel so it does not open up during the cooking process.

Cook the tortei covered in boiling water.

Unfold the homemade pasta from the dish cloth and cut into pieces for serving.

How To Make Tortei

1. First, start by whisking the eggs together.
2. In a bowl, combine the eggs, flour, salt and water. Use your hands to knead the dough until it no longer sticks to the bowl.
3. Form a round ball of dough and leave it in the bowl covered with a cloth to rest for 30 minutes.
4. In the meantime, finely mince the garlic cloves.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, minced garlic, salt, nutmeg and parmesan cheese.
6. Prepare a clean surface on your countertop and spread flour over it so that when you’re rolling out the dough it does not stick. Add more flour throughout the process as needed.
7. Use a dough rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/2 of an inch thick.
8. After the dough is completely rolled out, cut it into two equal parts otherwise it won’t fit into the dish towels to cook.
9. Add water to a very large pot and bring to a boil.
10. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the dough.
11. Begin rolling the dough lengthwise from the longest side. Almost as if you are rolling a cinnamon roll or a roulade. As you’re rolling the pasta dough, make sure to pull out the ends as needed so they don’t end up too thick.
12. Prepare the dish towel by folding it into the shape of a triangle.
13. Place the tortei at the bottom of that triangle shaped dish cloth and begin rolling it into the cloth by pulling the top piece of the cloth over the tortei and wrapping it around the pasta dough tightly.
14. Once the tortei has been rolled into the dish cloth, tie the ends securely. Repeat the same process with the 2nd piece of dough.
15. Slowly add both of the rolled up pieces of tortei to the boiling water. Cover and cook for 2-2.5 hours.
16. Remove the tortei from the boiling water and transfer to a cutting board.
17. Use tongs to remove the tortei from the cloth, then cut into 2-3 inch pieces.
18. Finally, serve with Red Wine Pasta Sauce (with meat), fresh parsley and parmesan cheese and enjoy.

What Is Tortei?

Tortei is simply homemade pasta stuffed with pumpkin puree. In Brazil, we call it tortei com recheio de abobora. Although it is traditionally an Italian dish, many Brazilians have incorporated it into their cuisine. A very close friend of the family made this dish for us to try when she was visiting and she explained that it is an old recipe that her Italian grandmother taught her to make when she was growing up in Brazil as a kid. Some parts of Brazil do have a wide spread Italian history so it is common for those recipes to get passed down from generations.

Making This Recipe With Kabocha

If you were lucky enough to find kabocha at the grocery store, lucky you! Simply start by cutting the kabocha into smaller pieces and cooking it in boiling water until fork tender. Spoon out all of the pumpkin from the skin and mash it in a bowl. Follow the rest of the recipe instructions to prepare the dish.

How Will I Know When It’s Ready?

The cooking time provided in this recipe is perfect. It should only take 2 hours for the tortei to be fully cooked. If you have cut thicker pieces, you may leave it cooking for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.

What Kind Of Dish Cloth Should I Use?

I recommend using a white dish cloth like this flour sack kitchen towel. Don’t use anything with color or a fuzzy surface.

Recipe Notes

• It’s important to use the right dish towel to make this recipe. I recommend these flour sack kitchen towels.
• Use tongs when you’re unwrapping the tortei from the dish cloth so you don’t burn yourself.
• You can roll the dough out thicker than 1/2 of an inch. This will all come down to preference. Just remember that the thicker the pasta is, the longer it will take to cook.
• The tortei should be fully cooked after 2 hours. However, if you cut thicker pieces you may need to cook it for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour longer.
• The pot you’re using should be big enough to submerge both of the torteis and boil them without the water running over the top.