The TORTELLI WITH CHARD are a traditional fresh pasta first course from Emilia, particularly from the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Parma, as I happily discovered on a recent, very tasty trip to these blessed lands. It’s a simple and very delicate dish that comes from humble peasant cooking, but today it is perfect for a festive lunch, even with our vegetarian friends.
The goodness of these tortelli lies in the rich egg pasta and the filling of ricotta and chard greens, flavored with plenty of grated Parmesan and nutmeg. Making them takes a bit of time, of course, but it’s absolutely not difficult: if you follow the step-by-step photo recipe you’ll reach the result easily and with great satisfaction. For the dressing, I recommend sticking to tradition, with butter and plenty of Parmesan, which enhance the tortelli without covering their delicate flavor. Enjoy them with a good Lambrusco and you’ll feel like you’re in Paradise…
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 2 eggs (medium, at room temperature)
- 7 oz chard greens (only the green parts (about 6 cups packed raw))
- 1 cup cow's milk ricotta (well-drained)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- to taste salt
- to taste nutmeg
- 6 tbsp butter (about 3/8 cup)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
TOOLS FOR TORTELLI WITH CHARD
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Pasta machine
- Pasta cutter
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
PREPARATION: TORTELLI WITH CHARD
Put the flour into a bowl, make a well in the center with your hands and add the eggs.
Knead everything for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth, homogeneous dough. If it seems dry, add a little water. If it becomes too sticky, add some flour.
Once the dough is ready, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Trim and wash the chard. Remove the white ribs and keep only the green parts. Boil them in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to cold water.
Squeeze them well and chop them with a knife.
In a bowl put the ricotta (better if drained), the egg yolk, the chopped chard, the Parmesan, salt, nutmeg and the breadcrumbs.
Mix everything well until you obtain a fairly firm mixture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll out the pasta using a fresh pasta machine to setting number 3. The sheet should be thin enough to enhance the flavor of the filling.
Place small mounds of filling (a teaspoon) on the pasta sheets, spacing them apart.
Brush with a little water and cover with another sheet of pasta. Using a pastry wheel, cut the pasta into the classic ravioli/square tortelli shapes. Arrange the ravioli on a tray dusted with flour.
Put the butter in a pan and melt it over low heat. Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water.
Drain them into the pan with the butter, add a little of the cooking water and toss your tortelli with chard to coat. Plate and serve sprinkled with plenty of Parmesan.
