Bundles of Joy: Autumnal Fillings for Fresh Pasta

Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

I am lucky enough to have a childhood memory of my Sicilian-American grandmother’s homemade ravioli. They were rustic, pleasantly doughy and filled with a mixture of ricotta, ground beef and pork. I don’t recall ever seeing her make them, though. They appeared like magic during the holidays when our large extended family would gather around cobbled-together folding tables covered in her crocheted tablecloths. My guess is that she rolled the dough by hand, making them a labor-intensive, once-a-year affair.

Stuffed fresh pasta is indeed a bit of a project, but it’s one that’s perfect for crisp fall days and idle little hands. With the help of a simple hand-cranked pasta machine, you can easily achieve delicate sheets of fresh egg dough. My recipe for basic pasta dough uses only all-purpose flour, eggs and egg yolks, but it’s a ratio that strikes the right balance of tenderness and durability. Using a kitchen scale to weigh the flour is more precise than measuring by volume and will set you up for success. Turn the sheets into noodles, or take a crack at the stuffed pasta recipes.

The three different fillings for three different shapes— ravioli, agnolotti and tortelli—are not traditionally Italian per se, but they’re combinations that make good use of seasonal ingredients. For the ravioli, butternut squash is roasted and mixed with caramelized onions, sage and ricotta to make a punchy filling that’s rich, sweet, tangy and salty all at once.

Agnolotti are similar to ravioli but in a smaller, rectangular format. Typically stuffed with meat and/ or cheese, this rendition uses a savory roasted mushroom and walnut mixture that’s enriched with herbs and pecorino cheese. The rectangular dumplings are a little more efficient to make than ravioli or tortelli because the filling is piped in one line on a sheet of pasta that is folded over. If you’re looking for something to scale up for a crowd, this is your best bet.

Stuffed pastas are also an excellent way of stretching small amounts of ingredients to feed a lot of mouths. In the tortelli filling, only a half pound of ground chicken serves at least four people! When you add fresh spinach, a few slices of prosciutto, garlic, wine and Parmigiano Reggiano, the flavors sing and no one will accuse you of being stingy.

There are a few things to keep in mind with these recipes. Pasta itself doesn’t have much flavor, so the fillings need to stand out. Taste the mixture and be bold with the seasoning. And as with all pasta, your cooking water should taste like the ocean. A good rule of thumb is to add 2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water. And other than a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter and a little extra grated cheese, there’s not much you need to do in the way of sauce. Let the fillings shine.

All three of these recipes can be made ahead and frozen so you can toss them into boiling water on busy weeknights. There’s no need to thaw, just cook them straight from the freezer. With a little practice, you’ll see that homemade ravioli, agnolotti and tortelli can be on regular rotation in your kitchen and not just an annual culinary event.

This story appeared in the Fall 2022 issue.