Tortellini Recipe
Make Tortellini Recipe in just 2h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Fresh Cheese Tortellini
Simple Butter Sage Sauce
Cooking & Finishing
Method
Fresh Cheese Tortellini
- 1
Make the dough
On a clean work surface or in a large bowl, mound the all-purpose and semolina flours and make a deep well. Crack the 3 whole eggs into the well, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Using a fork, gently whisk the eggs and gradually incorporate the flour from the inner walls of the well until a shaggy dough forms. When the mixture becomes too stiff to mix with the fork, use your hands to knead.
- 2
Knead and rest
Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic and slightly tacky (if too sticky, dust with a teaspoon of flour at a time). Shape into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.
- 3
Prepare filling
While the dough rests, combine 1 cup well-drained ricotta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/4 cup mascarpone or whole-milk ricotta (optional), 1 egg yolk, 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg, 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 tsp kosher salt in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning — the filling should be well-seasoned because boiled pasta will dilute flavor. Refrigerate the filling until ready to use so it's firm enough to handle.
- 4
Roll the pasta thin
Unwrap the dough and divide into 4 pieces. Keep unused pieces covered. Using a pasta machine or rolling pin, roll each piece to a thin sheet — about setting 6–7 on a machine or as thin as you can with a rolling pin (approx. 1 mm). Lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking. Aim for even thickness so tortellini cook uniformly.
- 5
- 6
Shape tortellini
Fold each circle in half to make a half-moon (if using square, fold into triangle), press edges firmly to seal out air. Take the two corners of the straight edge and bring them together, overlapping slightly, to form the characteristic tortellini ring; press to secure. Place shaped tortellini on a lightly floured tray and cover with a towel to prevent drying. Repeat until all filling and dough are used.
Simple Butter Sage Sauce
- 7
Prepare sauce
In a wide sauté pan over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, reduce heat to medium-low and add the sage leaves. Cook until the butter foams and the sage becomes crisp and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Watch carefully so the butter does not brown beyond a light golden hazelnut color unless you desire brown-butter flavor.
- 8
Cooking & Finishing
- 9
Boil pasta water
Bring 4 liters of water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt (it should taste like seawater).
- 10
Cook tortellini
Gently drop fresh tortellini into the boiling water in batches so they have room to move. Fresh tortellini will cook quickly — about 2.5 to 4 minutes depending on thickness. Test one: when it floats and the filling is hot in the center, they are done. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer cooked tortellini directly into the warm butter-sage sauce.
- 11
Toss and finish
Over low heat, gently toss the tortellini in the butter-sage sauce. Add up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time to loosen and create a silky emulsion that coats the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning. If desired, drizzle 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil for brightness.
- 12
Serve
Plate the tortellini, spooning extra butter and crisp sage over the top. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately while hot.