Homemade Ricotta & Spinach Tortelloni

plate covered with spinach and ricotta filled tortelloni

Homemade Ricotta & Spinach Tortelloni

Handmade with fresh pasta, these tortelloni are filled with a delicious combination of spinach and ricotta cheese - and topped with sage and Parmesan for the perfect finish!

Course Dinner, First Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 3

Resting Time 30

Total Time 1 18

Servings

Author Alba Luna Meyer

Ingredients

For The Pasta

3 1/4 cups flour, preferably 00 flour; all-purpose flour also works (at least 12% protein)
3 large eggs, possibly more
a pinch of salt

For The Filling

a bunch of spinach, about 3 cups, roughly chopped
9 ounces ricotta cheese, about 1 cup
3.5 ounces parmesan cheese, grated; about 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For The Sauce

1/4 cup butter
a bunch of fresh sage leaves
a pinch of salt
parmesan cheese, grated; for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Wash the spinach and cut the end of the stems. Roughly chop the spinach.
Add the spinach to a pot with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Cook on low heat until soft, stirring regularly. Then remove the spinach from the pot and strain well.
Add the cooked spinach to a bowl with the ricotta cheese, the parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Mix well, cover and set aside.
On a clean, non-porous surface, pile the flour into a mountain and make a well in the middle so you end up with a volcano shape.
Crack the eggs into the center of the flour volcano and add a pinch of salt.
Carefully mix the eggs with a fork. Gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs until fully combined. Alternatively, for a mess-free process, you can mix the dough in a large bowl.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until you have a soft ball. Cover in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, remove it from the fridge and divide it into two equal parts.
Dust your work surface with flour and use a rolling pin to flatten one of the balls into a long, rectangular shape, about 1/3 inch or 1 centimeter thick.
Secure the pasta machine to the side of your table and set it to the largest number.
Pass the flattened dough through the pasta machine, decreasing the numbers one by one until the dough is thin enough to be slightly see-through (your fingers should be visible through the pasta dough). My machine reaches this point at number 5 (the largest number is 7). If needed, cut the dough into smaller pieces to make it more manageable. Repeat this process with all the dough.
Lay out all the dough on a flat surface and use a pasta cutter to cut it into about 2.5 x 2.5 inch (or 6 x 6 centimeter) squares.
Distribute the filling by placing a walnut-sized portion in the center of each pasta square.
Fold the pasta square into a triangle and gently press the edges to seal the filling inside. Then fold the opposite sides of the pasta to form a ring. Press gently. Repeat with all the tortelloni. Store them covered on a flat, floured surface (a tray works well).
In a medium-sized pan, melt the butter, then add the sage leaves and salt and gently swirl. Cook for 1 minute on low heat to infuse the butter with the sage flavors.
Cook the pasta in boiling water until it floats, and quickly transfer it to the pan with the sage butter.
Swirl the pasta around in the pan and use a spoon to pour the butter over the tortelloni.
Serve hot with a generous amount of parmesan cheese.

Notes

Do not worry if some of the tortelloni aren't perfect, this is the beauty of homemade pasta.
If you're using smaller eggs, you might need 4 instead of 3.
If using frozen spinach, drain it well once cooked.
If the filling is too watery, you can add a couple of tablespoons of breadcrumbs to fix it.
When making the pasta sheets, ensure the dough rectangle is not wider than the pasta machine to avoid issues. Do not skip any number in the pasta machine to prevent creasing and clumping.
Do not flatten the pasta sheet too much. Otherwise, it can become too fragile and break once filled.
For cutting, you can use a pasta cutter or knife. If using a knife, layer all the pasta sheets, measure the cuts, and cut through all layers.
To prevent the pasta dough from drying out, work with someone to speed up the process, cover the pasta with a damp kitchen towel, or gently spray the pasta with water occasionally.

Nutrition

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.