This week my farmers market had some beautiful spinach, so I made:
✨ Spinach and Ricotta Tortelli ✨
I had so much spinach to use that I ended up putting it both in the dough and in the filling. Not only are these delicious, these tortelli are actually really nutritious and make for a balanced meal: they have fiber from the spinach, protein from the homemade ricotta, and carbs from the fresh egg pasta. Plus, spinach is packed with vitamins A, C, and K, along with iron and calcium.
You may have noticed that this is also my third pasta in a row with a butter and Parmigiano sauce: clearly I love this combo but I will try to move on to introduce some variety in this pasta series.
I ended up making almost 100 (!!) of these tortelli, so most of them went straight into the freezer. I freeze them by laying them out on a tray (so they don’t stick) in my freezer, and once they’re solid, I transfer them to a ziplock bag. This makes some weeknight dinners so easy: I can cook these tortelli straight from frozen in salted boiling water, and they’re ready as soon as they float!
Score:
Flavor: 9/10
The spinach pasta dough was delicious and so was the creamy ricotta filling. The butter sauce tied everything together beautifully.
Difficulty: 8/10
Working spinach into the dough adds an extra step compared to the average egg pasta but the results are worth it.
Ingredients (Serves 4, makes ~80 medium sized tortelli)
For the spinach pasta dough:
300 g (about 2½ cups) 00 flour (or all purpose)
2 large eggs
50 g (about ½ cup) cooked spinach
Semola flour to avoid sticking
For the filling:
60 g (about ¼ cup) fresh ricotta (you can buy or you can make your own using my recipe)
100 g (about 1 cup) cooked spinach
70 g (about ½ cup) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt & pepper, to taste
For the sauce (for ~30 tortelli):
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Pepper to taste
1. Make the spinach pasta dough
Cook the spinach in boiling salted water for 1 minute, then drain and cool. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Using an immersion blender, blend the spinach until you have a paste. This should take a few seconds.
On a clean surface, mound the flour and pour the spinach paste and eggs into the center. Gradually mix together until a dough forms. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Note: Depending on how much water is in your spinach, you may need to add extra flour. The dough shouldn’t be sticky, it should feel workable and come together nicely.
2. Make the filling
In a bowl, blend the ricotta, chopped spinach, Parmigiano, salt, and pepper with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Chill until ready to use.
Note: The parmigiano and the spinach are already salty so I typically add very little salt or none at all.
3. Roll and shape the tortelli
Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll each piece using a pasta machine (or rolling pin) until thin and slightly translucent but still sturdy. If you’re using a KitchenAid attachment, I go to the thinnest setting.
Using a round cutter or glass, cut circles from the dough. Place a small spoonful of filling in the center, fold into a half-moon, press the edges to seal, and then bring the two corners together and pinch to form the tortello shape.
4. Make the sauce + cook the pasta
Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil. In a pan, melt the butter over low heat until fragrant.
Drop the tortelli into the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes, until they float. Gently transfer them to the melted butter pan. Add Parmigiano and a splash of pasta water as needed, tossing gently until a creamy sauce forms. The sauce should emulsify and be really creamy and coat the tortelli nicely. Keep the heat low.
5. Serve
Plate the tortelli and top with more Parmigiano and freshly cracked pepper.
Buon appetito! 💚
