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Tortellini Recipe
Tortellini are a traditional and popular first course in Bolognese cuisine. They are small squares of egg pasta first stuffed with a meat filling, then folded to form a triangle and finally closed leaving a hole in the center.The recipe for tortellini to this day is world-famous. A very old recipe, certified at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce and codified by the Confraternita del Tortellino.Like any traditional recipe there are different versions and some regional variations, but also some nuances among the various Bolognese families!
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH
- 150 g flour - 1 cup, “00” flour
- 150 g flour - 1 cup, semolina flour + more for dusting
- 3 eggs - of at least 70 g (2,5 oz) each. Fresh homemade pasta usually wants 1 egg x 100 g (¾ cup) of flour
FOR THE FILLING
- 100 g pork loin - 3 ½ oz
- 100 g Mortadella - 3 ½ oz, single slice
- 100 g Ham - 3 ½ oz, Parma ham single slice
- 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano - 1 cup
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt to taste
Instructions
The Filling
- Roughly chop the mortadella, Parma ham and pork loin. Cook the pork in a pan with a knob of butter for a few minutes, covered with a lid.
- Then blend the cooked pork loin, ham and mortadella all together, until smooth and finely chopped. Finally transfer to a bowl and add the nutmeg, egg, a pinch of salt to taste and Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Mix until you have a thick mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
The Dough
- Work the flours with the eggs on a work surfice. Pull the dough back and forth with the palm of your hand for a few minutes. Using a spatula, remove the dough from the board, scrape off any dough that has stuck to the surface, and start kneading again. Knead vigorously for at least 10 MINUTES.
- Finally, form a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap to protect it from drying out, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Dust your work surface with some semolina. Take a lump of pasta dough the size of a tennis ball and press it out flat with the palms of your hands. Set the knob of the sheeter to level 1 and speed 2 on your pasta machine. Put the dough in the rollers and pass it the first time.
- Now you need to make the folds. So, fold the dough in half, and then in half again.
- Flour with semolina and pass it through the rollers again. Repeat 2 or 3 times (fold/pass - fold/pass), until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- Remember to flour the pasta sheet with semolina flour whenever you feel it's sticky. If the sheet of dough becomes too long, cut it in half.
- Now turn the knob of the sheeter to position 2, again at speed 2, and repeat the steps, to further roll out the dough. DO NOT make any more folds and start thinning the dough by running it through the smooth roller at least a couple of times.
- From position 2 move to position 3 and repeat. Roll the dough again between the rollers, gradually reducing the thickness until it's about 1-2 mm; if the dough is too wet, you can lightly dust it with semolina.
- The pasta to make tortellini should be about 1-2 millimeters thick. So stop at position 4 if you like thick pasta. If you prefer thinner pasta, roll it out to #5. NOT THINNER, OTHERWISE THE TORTELLINI WILL BREAK!
Make the Tortellini
- Once you have the sheets of pasta, cut strips of pasta 3 or 4 cm wide, then overlap them with each other. Then cut squares 3 or 4 cm on each side. PLEASE NOTE: Italian tradition calls for small tortellini, made with 3 cm (1.20 inch) squares of dough on each side. I make them 4 cm (1.60 inch) because they are easier to make and easier to handle. Your choice.
- At this point, with your hands make balls with the filling the size of a chickpea and place them in the center of the squares. Continue adding the filling about 10 squares at a time.
- BEFORE YOU START! First, moisten the squares with a little water. This way they will close tightly, but more importantly they will STAY CLOSED even while cooking!
- Fold the square back on itself, tip to tip, to form a triangle.
- Press the edges well to seal them.
- Once you are sure that you have sealed it well, press the corner of the resulting triangle downward.
- Make small folds on the sides of the triangle and finally join the two edges, leaving a hole in the center and sealing them with a pinch. Place the tortellini on a lightly floured dishcloth in a cool place. Make yourself comfortable, because making all the tortellini will take 2-3 hours, but the satisfaction will be great! Your homemade tortellini are ready!
Nutrition
Calories: 606kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 37gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 226mgSodium: 1086mgPotassium: 370mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 433IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 340mgIron: 5mg
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