Question Number 9
Tortelli?
No.
They're a stuffed pasta that's more closely related to ravioli and such, and are the high point of many a country fair. According to a friend who owned a pasta factory, they must be made by hand to come out right, because the dough of the sheet is too thick for machines. It’s worth the effort.
- 1 1/2 pounds of mealy potatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 pound lard, minced (Tuscans use lardo di Colonnata, from a town in the Apuan Alps – it’s salted, and seasoned with rosemary, pepper, and spices; in its absence prosiutto fat or lean pancetta)
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 cups grated Parmigiano
- Scant 1/2 cup melted butter (for the sauce)
- Salt and pepper
Wash and peel the potatoes, quarter them, and steam them until done but firm (they shouldn’t be mushy).
Sauté the lard and the onions in a skillet until the onions are lightly browned.
Mash the potatoes (a potato ricer makes mashing easier) while they’re still hot. Put them mashed potatoes in a bowl and add the onion mixture, two tablespoons of grated cheese, the eggs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and let cool.
Meanwhile, make a the pasta, using 1 1/4 pounds flour and four eggs: make a mound of the flour on your work surface, scoop a well into it, crack the eggs into it, and work them into the flour, together with a pinch of salt. If need be, add a few drops of water as well, but go easy. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes, then roll out two sheets about the thickness of a nickel. The sheets should be rectangular and about the same size.
Place, on one of the sheets, walnut-sized balls of filling about 1 1/2 inches apart. Carefully lay the second sheet over the first and press the dough down between the balls of filling with your fingers so the pasta sticks well. Using a serrated pasta wheel, cut the dough to make square tortelli.
Boil the tortelli in salted water, removing them with a slotted spoon as they’re done (a minute after they rise to the surface) to a warm serving bowl, pour the melted butter and the remaining grated cheese over them, and serve.
Hint: If you happen to have some left over drippings from a roast, replace half the butter with them. You can also serve tortelli with meat sauce or tomato sauce, and grated cheese. Serve with a fairly hearty wine, for example Chianti Rufina.
