Recipe for tortelli with sage, spinach, and ricotta (enzo ferrari’s favorite dish?)
If you want to impress your guests with a delicious and authentic Italian dish, which was also one of Enzo Ferrari’s favorite meals, our recipe for tortelli with spinach/ricotta filling fried in butter and sage is a perfect choice!
This stuffed pasta is one of the most popular dishes in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, where Enzo Ferrari grew up and lived most of his life. Allegedly, he would walk over every day to have lunch at a restaurant across from the factory in Maranello, and this dish was one of his favorites.
Our version is filled with a delightful mixture of spinach and ricotta, fried in butter and sage, which gives the dish an authentic taste and aroma.
What is the difference between tortelli and tortellini?
You might think I’ve made a mistake by writing Tortelli instead of Tortellini, but I haven’t:
The shape/form of a tortelli is typically a square or rectangular pasta pillow that is folded and shaped like a triangle or a little raised “scarf.” When correctly folded, it will have a filling in the middle and two ends that meet and are pressed together to seal the filling inside.
The exact shape and size of a tortelli can vary depending on the region in Italy where it is made and the traditional recipe used. But generally, a tortelli will have a triangular or rectangular shape when folded and ready to be cooked.
The shape/form of a tortellini is typically a small pasta pillow that is shaped like a ring, where the two ends of the ring are folded and pressed together to form a small “belly button.” This creates a characteristic shape that resembles a small hat or a miniature version of the Italian monument “Il toro di Mantova.”
Tortellini are usually much smaller than tortelli, with a diameter of about 1.5 to 2.5 cm and a filling of meat or cheese, such as pork, prosciutto, mortadella, or Parmesan cheese. The shape and size of tortellini are standardized and usually the same throughout Italy, although there can be variations depending on the region and the traditional recipe used.
Tortelli with sage, spinach, and ricotta (Enzo Ferrari's favorite dish?)
Equipment
- 1 Pasta Machine (Option 1)
- 1 Rolling Pin (Option 2)
Ingredients
Pasta Dough
- 3 pcs. Egg
- 300 gram Flour Preferably 2/3 Tipo 00 and 1/3 durum wheat flour
- 3 gram Salt
Fill
- 150 gram Spinach
- Salt and Pepper
- 250 gram Ricotta
- 35 gram Parmesan
- 1 gram Lemon Zest grated
- Salt and Pepper
Sage Butter
- 250 gram Butter
- 20 pcs. Sage Leaves
Instructions
Dough
- Pour the flour out onto a kitchen counter
- Create a well in the center with the back of a spoon
- Crack the eggs into the well and add salt on top of them
- Use a fork to whisk the eggs while gradually pushing the flour into the eggs
- When you can no longer knead it together with the fork, use your hands
- Knead until the dough is smooth, using the heel of your hand where you have the most strength. You can test by rolling it into a ball; if you stretch it and the dough doesn't "break," it's ready.
- Place the dough in a bag or leave it covered in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 3-5 pieces and roll it out. You can do this with a pasta machine or a rolling pin.
Filling
- Rinse the spinach and dry it well with a clean tea towel.
- Place it in a dry pan over medium-high heat (8 out of 14 on my stove) with salt and pepper.
- After a few minutes on the pan, it should be drained of liquid.
- Put them in a muslin cloth/tea towel or a sieve and press well to extract the liquid.
- Chop the spinach and place it in a bowl with ricotta and freshly grated Parmesan and lemon zest.
- Put the mixture in a piping bag, and it's now ready to become tortelli along with your pasta dough.
Tortelli
- Use a pastry cutter or a ravioli cutter to cut squares about 3.5-4 cm on each side.
- Place a small dollop of filling on each pasta sheet.
- Fold the dough and press the edges together to seal the tortelli.
- Repeat until all filling and dough are used.
Cooking
- Bring water with 15 grams of salt per liter of water to a boil. When it reaches a rolling boil, the water is ready.
- Add the tortelli and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until they rise to the surface and are tender.
- Drain the tortelli slightly and put them directly into the sauté pan with sage butter.
Frying
- Add butter to a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan.
- Add the sage leaves to the butter.
- Let the butter foam up, then let it cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
- It should brown to bring out the lovely nutty aromas.
- Transfer the pasta directly from the pot into the browned sage butter and serve immediately.
Serving
- Grate some fresh Parmesan on top and grind some pepper as well.
- Enjoy.