A BEAUTIFUL RICH TOMATO AND CREAMY MARSCAPONE SAUCE WITH GORGEOUS RICOTTA AND SPINACH STUFFED TORTELLINI
INGREDIENTS
(serves 4)
FOR THE PASTA
400g 00 pasta flour
4 large free range eggs beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ooil
semolina for dusting
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and then pour out on to your work top, make a mountain with a well in the centre, mix the ooil with the beaten egg and pour two thirds into the centre and start flicking the flour in from the outside into the beaten egg and slowly incorporate all the flour, add a little more beaten egg if you need to until you have a ball of dough. Knead for five minutes until smooth and elastic then wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for an hour to relax.
Dust your work top with some semolina and cut the dough ball into three, using a rolling pin just flatten each 1/3 in to a oblong shape and roll through your pasta machine. Put your pasta machine on the widest setting and run the pasta through, keep repeating each time turning the setting down thinner until you have a lovely long thin length of pasta, dusting with semolina as needed. Repeat with the other two sections of dough. Cover with a damp tea towel or paper roll to prevent the pasta drying out and cracking when you try to fold the tortellini
MEANWHILE MAKE THE FILLING
400g fresh spinach
200g ricotta cheese
pinch of nutmeg
100g grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
ooil
Place the spinach in a colander and pour over a cup of boiling water, drain and then squeeze dry, rough chop and add to a bowl, add the ricotta, nutmeg, Parmesan and seasoning, mix well.
TO MAKE THE TORTELLINI
Take a length of the pasta and lay out flat in a long line brush with some of the remaining left over beaten egg, with a large scone cutter cut out as many circles the you can in the pasta. Place a spoon full of the ricotta filling just off the centre of each pasta circle. Fold the top of the pasta over the filling so you have a half circle, pressing the edges down firmly.
To make the tortellini shape take the two edges and just simply bring them backwards to meet each other and press them sealing them together, some people find this easier to do by wrapping the two corners around a finger and pinching them together, this creates that little ear like trough that captures extra sauce making these little parcels of flavour even more gorgeous.
FOR THE SAUCE
1 shallot fine diced
1 small clove garlic grated
dash of ooil & tsp butter
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
100ml chicken stock
150g marscapone
few fresh basil leaves torn
salt and black pepper
Gently pan fry the onion and garlic in the ooil and butter for five minutes until softened but not coloured, add the tomatoes and chicken stock and simmer for five minutes, then reduce the heat very slightly and add the marscapone, stir in well, let the sauce only just simmer for a few minutes, season to taste. Hold the sauce at this level ready to receive the cooked tortellini once cooked.
TO COOK THE TORTELLINI
Bring a pan of salted water to a rolling boil and drop in the tortellini pasta, these will only take 2-3 minutes to cook, drain and place on your serving plates, pour over your hot tomato sauce and drizzle with a dash of ooil and sprinkle over the torn basil, a dusting of fresh Parmesan and season with fresh ground black pepper.
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