13063 Serves 12 Wed Aug 06 08:21:11 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 01:34:52 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/13063 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:34:52 GMT Bologna and Modena both claim the origin of tortellini and depending on the region, they may be called cappellacci (big hats) or cappelletti (little hats), which have slightly different shapes. The shape of the folded tortellini is said to represent the navel of Venus de Milo. Whether or not that is true, the shape serves the dual purpose of ensuring that the filled pasta gets cooked evenly and the individual tortellini are surrounded with flavorful sauce. The filling here is unusual in that it combines cooked pumpkin with sweet amaretti cookies and Parmesan cheese. The pairing of pumpkin with rabbit is typical of a dish of late fall, the time of both the pumpkin harvest and the hunting season for rabbit and hare. Tortellini is always eaten on Christmas Eve at traditional family gatherings.

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All advance preparation may be found in the ingredient list.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 4-quart [4-L] heavy pot and sauté the onion and carrot until the onion is soft. Add the rabbit pieces and brown them, stirring, until the bottom of the pan has a deep brown (but not burned) glaze.

Add the garlic, rosemary, sage, and parsley and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and vinegar and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with ½ cup [120 mL] of the red wine.

Increase the heat to high and reduce the wine, stirring, until little liquid remains. Add the remaining wine and the stock and return to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, partially cover the pot, and simmer the sauce for 1½ hours, or until the rabbit is tender and the sauce has reduced to a medium-thick consistency. Season and adjust the flavors as necessary. (The sauce may be refrigerated for several days.)

Cut the pumpkin into large pieces, remove the seeds, and bake at 350°F [175°C] until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the skin and cut the flesh into small pieces.

Purée the pumpkin and combine 2 cups [480 mL] of the purée with the Parmesan, amaretti, nutmeg, and salt and pepper and mix well. Reserve, refrigerated, until ready to use.

Mound the flour on a flat surface and form a well in the center. Break the eggs into the center of the well and using a fork, beat the eggs. Gradually bring in flour from the inside of the well into the liquid egg mixture to incorporate. Continue until all of the mixture is incorporated and the dough is smooth and free of lumps. Form the dough into a ball. If using a processor, add the flour to the workbowl. With the processor running, add the eggs one at a time, forming a smooth ball. Remove to a floured surface and knead 1 minute.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Flatten the ball of dough and using the heels of your hands, knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough should be soft, elastic, and firm. If the dough is too moist, work in more flour, a little at a time.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and keep those not being worked covered at all times. Take 1 piece of the dough and pass it through a pasta machine, from widest to narrow setting in 5 increments, in strips approximately 2 inches [5 cm] wide. Using a 2-inch [5-cm] round cookie cutter, cut circles from the dough.

Place a heaping ¼ teaspoon [1 mL] of the pumpkin filling in the bottom half of each circle, moisten the edge of the circle with a finger dipped in water or egg white, then fold the circle in half, forming a half moon. Press the edges to seal.

Holding the semicircle with the curve toward you, bring the corners of the straight side toward each other. Overlap the corners, pressing 1 corner over another, and pinch to secure. Press the overlap down, forming the classic tortellini shape. Repeat until all the tortellini are formed.

Heat 5 quarts [5 L] of water with the salt to a very low boil (cooking the tortellini too rapidly may cause them to break open). Have a buttered wide dish or shallow bowl handy to place the cooked tortellini in when removed from the water (a colander or a deep bowl might cause some of the tortellini to break).

Cook the tortellini, in batches, until they rise to the surface and the filling is hot. Remove with a slotted spoon to the buttered dish, allowing time to drain well. Continue cooking in batches until all of the tortellini are cooked. Keep the tortellini warm until service.

Place ¼ cup [60 mL] of the sauce in a small bowl or on a small, deep plate, and top with 5 tortellini. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with sprigs of sage leaves.

]]> http://www.chow.com Arthur L. Meyer 50 Main 3 tablespoons [45 mL] olive oil

]]> 1 large onion, diced

]]> 1 carrot, diced

]]> One 3-pound [1.4-kg] rabbit, boned, and meat cut into ½-inch [1-cm] cubes

]]> 3 garlic cloves, minced

]]> 2 teaspoons [10 mL] rosemary leaves, chopped

]]> 3 large fresh sage leaves, chiffonade

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] parsley, minced

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] tomato paste

]]> 1 teaspoon [5 mL] black pepper

]]> ¼ teaspoon [1 mL] ground cloves

]]> ¼ teaspoon [1 mL] ground cinnamon

]]> ¼ cup [60 mL] balsamic vinegar

]]> 1 cup [240 mL] fruity, dry red wine

]]> 2 cups [480 mL] rich veal, beef, or game stock

]]> Salt and black pepper to taste

]]> 1 small pumpkin or Hubbard-type squash

]]> ½ cup [120 mL] grated Parmesan cheese

]]> 10 amaretti, finely crumbled

]]> Pinch of ground nutmeg

]]> Salt and pepper to taste

]]> 3 cups [750 mL] all-purpose flour

]]> 5 eggs

]]> 5 quarts [5 L] hot water

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] salt

]]> Grated Parmesan and ground black pepper, for service

]]> Sprigs of fresh sage leaves, for garnish

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