Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini

Image of MGS Schools Activity Week at the Cookery School, Didsbury, Manchester

Use Pasta Dough recipe above. Ensure the spinach is squeezed exceptionally dry, as excess moisture will make the filling runny and cause the tortellini to break.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 2 People

Ingredients

For the Filling

100 g Ricotta
1 clove Garlic minced or grated
100 g Spinach cooked in salted water and then squeezed and chopped
15 g Parmesan grated
1/4 Lemon zest, reserve juice for sauce
1/8 tsp Whole nutmeg grated
Sea salt to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

15 g Butter
1/2 Lemon juice of 1/2 lemon
3 Sage leaves
60 ml Water saved from the pasta water

To Garnish

15 g Parmesan
Cracked black pepper to taste

Method

For the Filling
Mix the ricotta, parmesan, cooked & squeezed spinach (to remove excess water), garlic, lemon zest, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper until well combined.
To Assemble the Tortellini:
If you are making the egg yolk raviolo, put one third of the spinach and ricotta mix aside.
Spoon a heaped teaspoon of filling inside each pasta circle and fold to create a half moon shape. Wet the edges and press down. Pull the two narrow ends together to form a tortellini shape.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 2–3 minutes, or until al dente. Drain well.
To Make the Sauce
Meanwhile, melt a knob of butter in a frying pan, add sage leaves and cook for a minute before adding the lemon juice and a bit of pasta water, simmer until thick and glazy.
Plate your pasta with the sauce poured over it, grated parmesan and cracked black pepper.