A Patchwork Quilt of Pasta
Freshly made tortelli, ready to cook.
Italy is like a patchwork quilt with each city, along with its people, culture and traditions, differing, even slightly, from the one next to it. This is because, going back in time, Italy’s cities and towns were separate insular fiefdoms, many literally walled off to protect them from invasions. This closure to other societies allowed each municipality to develop separate cultures between one another, with differences ranging from languages to art to etiquette to traditions to food, and, yes, wine too. This has left Italy, as it is today, with a large assortment of cuisines and dishes and wines, and much more, to discover.
Take, for example, the region of Emilia Romagna, the heartland of Italy, known for its food, and, naturally, pasta as well. As you travel across the region, you will find different pastas. Emilia Romagna is known for many varied traditional pasta options, like homemade ravioli and tortellini, so much so that each province, even city, claims at least one specific type of pasta as ‘their own’. Sure, they may have similarities between one another but the locals will tell you what makes their pasta different than the neighboring city. Plus they have taken on different names too. For example, when you travel east of Bologna and get to Romagna, you’ll see less tortellini on menus at local trattorias and instead you’ll start seeing tortelli. Ever hear of tortelli pasta? Let’s explore.
Tortelli Pasta
We have talked previously about some other Romagna inspired recipes from a local Romagna chef who we know through one of the Braschi boys who have a winery in Romagna.. But his recipes like the Romagnolo version of Eggs Benedict, a melty cheese Fondue sauce, or soft cheese with homemade jam while absolutely delicious… did not include any pasta! So today we do just that: so wash your hands and get ready to knead some pasta dough for this homemade pasta recipe… but first… a little hisotry on what pasta we are making: Tortelli.
Tortelli, dressed with butter, sage, and a sprinkling of parmesan.
Tortelli are a regional name from Emilia Romagna (and some parts of Tuscany), given to a type of filled pasta that looks like what, in America, we might call a plain ‘ravioli’, or a square packet type shape. It is interesting if one considers the linguistics of another famous pasta, the tortellini. Tortellini, most famous from Bologna in Emilia to the west, are the filled round pastas, twisted to form a little triangular pointy packet. In the Italian language, adding ‘ini’ to the end of a word turns it into a diminuative, meaning ‘smaller’. By this logic, one would think that ‘tortelli’ and ‘tortellini’ were related, just different sizes. But that is not the case, and despite the similar names, these pastas have very different shapes.
In various tortelli recipes, fillings can vary by region, season, and occasion from ricotta and herbs (found near Parma, where prosciutto comes from), pumpkin (near Mantova and Cremona on the Lombardy border), spinach (towards Piacenza), meat (again, towards Tuscany, especially near the coastal regions), or (like the tortelli recipe we will look at below) mashed potatoes. These last, are typical to Romagna, in the eastern sector of the Emilia Romagna region. In Romagna, you can also find fried tortelli, that are made with a different pasta dough, more similar to that of bread than egg based pastas.
A lot of these different tortelli can be dressed in different ways, too. Some go simple with butter and sage or other herbs (like our recipe below), but others may benefit from a more flavorful sauce, like one with mushrooms, a primavera-type sauce, simple tomato and basil, or even a meat based sugo. What is important is to think about what is in the filling and what flavors on the outside can complement those filling flavors. We have said it in previous articles… and we will say it again here: experiment and play! Have fun trying different combinations of fillings with sauces until you find our favorite.
Braschi’s Famoso white wine is the winemaker’s pairing choice for tortelli.
Just a quick pro-tip about our recipe today before we look at pairing wine with food, you can make your tortelli ahead and freeze them. Simply place your tray with your tortelli neatly laid out (as seen in the photo above) in the freezer for several hours to freeze them. Once they are completely frozen, feel free to gently place them in a sealed plastic container to use on a rainy day. When it is time to cook, simply drop them frozen directly into the boiling water. Note, they might take a moment extra to cook depending on the size of your pot and quantity of water.
Time for Pairing Wine with Food
When considering what wine to pair with a dish of steaming tortelli, of course, consider also the flavors in the sauce. But today, with our potato and pecorino cheese filling and a simple butter and herb sauce, you want a white wine that will complement the buttery and aromatic dressing, without overpowering the starchy filling. A white wine with great acidity can help with that, and what better than a wine local to Romagna itself: Famoso. Nearly lost to the ages, this grape is indigenous to Romagna and would be a great wine pairing with this dish. As mentioned Famoso has a lovely acidity, but also lemony-mineral notes that will help cut through the buttery finish on these tortelli.
Try Emilia Romagna Wines and Help Their Relief Efforts
Emilia Romagna recently had disastrous flooding, and it was the Romagna area which was particularly hard hit, especially the small towns, nooks and crannies, which are the lifeblood of the region but inaccessible due to avalanches and closed roads. To help them we are running a fundraiser campaign, encouraging donations directly to the relief efforts and to buy the Emilia Romagna Disaster Relief Fundraiser Wine Box with an assortment of artisanal wines from this hard hit region.
If you purchase the Emilia Romagna Disaster Relief Fundraiser Wine Box, since shipping included, add on a bottle of Famoso white wine and to pair your own home made with it.
Tortelli con Patate e Pecorino – Potato and Pecorino Stuffed Tortelli Pasta
Cooking and Prep Time: 1 Hour
Portions: 4 portions
For the Pasta Dough:
400 grams Flour
4 Eggs
Salt to taste
For the Filling:
100 grams Parmesan, grated
3 Eggs
4 Boiled Potatoes
50 grams Pecorino Cheese, grated
Dash Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste
To Serve:
2-3 tablespoons Butter
Fresh Aromatic Herbs (i.e rosemary, sage, or thyme)
Grated Parmesan, if desired
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Febo, Aurinia, or Caletra)
Suggested Wine Pairings:
Braschi | Monte Sasso Famoso White Wine
Procedure:
1. Prepare the pasta by creating a well in the center of flour, either in a large bowl or on a clean flat surface. Add the eggs and salt to the well, and begin to mix and knead. When well amalgamated, cover and set aside to rest while preparing the filling.
2. For the filling, mash the boiled potatoes and mix them with the grated parmesan and pecorino cheese, eggs, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Try to get it as smooth as possible.
3. To create the tortelli, roll out a very thin rectangular piece of pasta (or if you use a machine, one on the lowest setting). On one side of the sheet, place dollops of filling about the size of a large grape at regular intervals with about an inch of between them. Fold the sheet of pasta in half, covering the filling and gently press all around the mounds to push out any air and seal the tortelli. Lastly, use a pastry wheel to cut out each square piece leaving some pasta around each mound of filling. Place them without overlapping one by one on a well-floured tray.
4. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil, and gently drop in the tortelli. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the outer ring of pasta is al-dente. While the water boils and tortelli cook, in a skillet nearby, melt your butter and let your aromatic herbs of choice cook in the butter.
5. When cooked, drain the tortelli gently and place them in the skillet with the butter and herbs. Stir or flip the tortelli to coat them well with the herb infused butter. Serve your tortelli with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan on top, a drizzle of fresh organic EVOO, and pair with a glass of white Famoso wine.
What Wine to Pair?
