I can’t cook, but my friend Isobel–who, unlike me, has not recently set her toaster on fire–is here to help. 

It warrants repeating: I am not a chef. I once forgot to take the plastic wrap off a frozen pizza, put the pizza in the oven, fell asleep until the fire alarm went off, and then, in my frazzled nap state, proceeded to beat the fire alarm off my ceiling with a Swiffer. The end result was several hundred dollars worth of damage. So rather than giving out cooking advice of my own, I asked my friend Isobel to teach Bwog to make a delicious autumn meal: pumpkin tortelloni.

You will need:

  • 1 cup shallots, minced
  • 3 (or more) garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ can or 1 cup of pure canned pumpkin
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ cup (or more) grated Parmesan
  • As many wonton wrappers as you want tortelloni

Instructions:

  1. Begin by making the filling. In a saucepan, stir the butter, shallots, and garlic together over medium-low heat. When they are softened, stir in the bread crumbs, the sage, and the salt.
  2. After a minute, add the pumpkin, the lemon zest, and as much or as little pepper as you’d like. Remove the mixture from heat, and then stir in the Parmesan. Let the filling cool.
  3. Take one wonton wrapper and put it on a clean surface with a corner facing you. Put one small dollop of filling in the center of the wrapper. Lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with water, and then fold the wrapper over to form a triangle.
  4. Moisten the corners at each end of the triangle’s long side, and then press them together firmly to create the final shape. It should look something like the pictures below.
  5. Add the tortelloni to a pot of salted, boiling water and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they are al dente. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove them from the pot.
  6. Serve with your favorite sauce or in broth. (We recommend putting the tortelloni in a homemade autumn vegetable soup!)

Tortelloni via Ruby Mustill and Isobel Shaffer