Grandma Clementina’s Tortelloni with Balsamic Vinegar

Grandma Clementina was a good cook. Her recipe of tortelloni is a tradition that has been passed down in our family for generations. Her idea to add mascarpone into the filling of the tortelloni and serve them with several drops of Balsamic Vinegar has made this dish a real explosion of flavors.

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients for 6 portions

Egg Pasta:

• 500 g All-Purpose Flour
• 5 Eggs

Filling:

• 300 g  Cow Ricotta (sheep ricotta has a very strong flavor)
• 100 g  Mascarpone
• 150 g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano 30 Months
• 250 g Boiled Chard (400 g when fresh)
• 30 g Butter
• 10-15 g Parsley
• Nutmeg to taste
• Salt to taste

Seasoning:

• 100 g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano 30 Months
• 200 ml Milk
• 80 g Butter
• Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP Extra Vecchio

Preparation:

1. In order to make the perfect egg pasta, you need to put the flour in a mound on the cutting board. Break the eggs in the center of the mound. Use a fork to whisk the eggs into the flour. Whisk gradually the surrounding flour into the eggs. When the mixture becomes solid enough, knead the dough energetically with your hands for at least 6-8 minutes till it becomes homogeneous, plain and elastic.
2. Cover the dough with a cloth and leave it at rest for at least 1 hour. Later we are going to use the dough sheeter to stretch the pasta.
3. Let’s prepare the filling. Wash and cut the chard. Remove the firm part of the stalk. Boil in slightly salted water. Drain the chard, leave it to cool and then squeeze it gently in order to remove excess water. Fry the chard with a knob of butter for a minute. Then cut it thinly and leave in a bowl to cool.
4. Wash and chop finely the parsley.
5. Place ricotta into a bowl. Pay attention to drain it well beforehand. Add mascarpone, the chard and parsley, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, a generous pinch of grated nutmeg and salt. Mix it all up till it gets homogeneous.
6. Take the dough. Cut one piece. Add a bit of flour and plain the dough with the fingers. Pass the pasta into the dough sheeter starting with the first and the widest setting. Make the same thing for the next settings till you come up to the second last one. Once the pasta is ready, cut it into squares 7-8 cm per side. Place the filling in the middle of each square and close up the tortelloni. Do it until the filling is over. Place your tortelloni on a tray and cover with a cotton cloth.
7. Once you are through with tortelloni, put a large pot on the fire and boil a good amount of salted water. Take a large pan and melt the butter with some milk over low heat.
8. Boil the tortelloni for 2-3 minutes. Drain them with a skimmer and place them into the pan. Stir for a minute, turn off the fire, add a bit of grated parmigiano and mix delicately. Serve the tortelloni with several drops of the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP.

Buon Appetito!

Important notes:

1. The number of your tortelloni depends on the quantity of the filling you use for every piece. If in the end you have a bit of pasta left, you can make tagliatelle or maltagliati.
2. The thickness of the pasta is a determinant factor of the quality of your tortelloni. It shouldn’t be too thin for it can break open while cooking. Nor should it be too thick. As for the chard, it can be easily prepared the day before and conserved in the fridge.