🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🎃 Pumpkin Ravioli
Ravioli di Zucca
Ravioli di Zucca fills delicate pasta parcels with sweet roasted pumpkin, Parmigiano, and a whisper of amaretti cookie and nutmeg — a distinctly Mantuan specialty balancing sweet and savory.
Native to Mantua in Lombardy, this ravioli is famous for its unusual but beloved sweet-savory profile, traditionally finished with nothing more than sage brown butter to let the pumpkin filling's delicate flavor shine.
Ingredients
Equipment: Baking sheet, Food processor or potato masher, Pasta machine or rolling pin, Ravioli cutter
- 1 batch Fresh Egg Pasta Dough
Filling
- 800 g (1.75 lb) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 80 g (1 cup) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 50 g (⅓ cup) crushed amaretti cookies
- 1 egg yolk
- Freshly grated nutmeg, a generous pinch
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To serve
- 80 g (⅓ cup) butter
- 8–10 fresh sage leaves
- Extra Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Roast the pumpkin cubes on a baking sheet until very tender and lightly caramelized, about 30–35 minutes.
- Mash or process the roasted pumpkin until smooth. Let cool, then mix in the Parmigiano, crushed amaretti, egg yolk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until well combined. The filling should be firm enough to hold its shape — if too wet, spread on a tray and let some moisture evaporate.
- Roll the pasta dough thin, working in batches, keeping unused dough covered.
- Lay one sheet of pasta on a floured surface. Pipe or spoon small mounds of filling in a row, spaced about 5cm apart.
- Lightly brush the dough around the filling with water, then lay a second pasta sheet on top, pressing firmly around each mound to seal.
- Cut into individual ravioli with a cutter or knife, crimping the edges.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the ravioli in batches for 3–4 minutes until they float and the pasta is tender.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet with the sage leaves until golden and fragrant.
- Lift the ravioli directly into the sage butter, tossing gently to coat.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmigiano.
Chef Tips
- Roasting rather than boiling the pumpkin concentrates its flavor and avoids a watery filling.
- The amaretti cookies are essential to the traditional Mantuan flavor profile — don't skip them even though they may seem unusual in a savory dish.
- If the filling seems too loose, spread it on a tray in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up before piping.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Boiling the pumpkin instead of roasting, resulting in a watery, diluted filling.
- Omitting the amaretti, losing the dish's signature sweet-savory character.
- Not sealing the ravioli tightly enough, causing them to open during cooking.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and fiber.
- A good source of calcium and protein from the Parmigiano.
Cultural Note
Ravioli di Zucca is a beloved Mantuan tradition especially associated with Christmas Eve, its distinctive sweet-and-savory profile reflecting Renaissance-era Lombard court cuisine, when sugar and spice were prized luxuries.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Uncooked ravioli freeze well in a single layer for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Cook frozen ravioli directly from frozen in boiling water, adding 1–2 extra minutes.
Serve with: Sage brown butter, A crisp Lambrusco, Nothing more — this dish is traditionally kept simple