Poor Man's Tortelli

Poor Man’s Tortelli are a typical dish of rustic Italian cuisine, a simple recipe that uses basic ingredients, without meat or other expensive ingredients. Here is how to make them:

Ingredients

• 250 g of type 00 flour
• 2 eggs
• 250 g of fresh ricotta cheese
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Nutmeg q.s.
• Salt q.s.
• Water q.s.

Preparation

1. Knead the flour with the eggs and a pinch of salt on a pastry board, add a little water if necessary, until you get a homogeneous and elastic mixture. Let the dough rest covered with a cloth for at least 30 minutes.

2. In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing the ricotta with the grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt, and a grating of nutmeg.

3. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin or pasta machine until it is thinly spread.

4. Place small amounts of filling on the dough at regular intervals.

5. Fold the dough over itself to cover the filling and press with your fingers around the filling to seal the edges, then cut out the tortelli using a pasta cutter wheel or a specific stamp.

6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tortelli for a few minutes until they float to the surface.

7. Gently remove them with a slotted spoon and serve with melted butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan, or the sauce of your choice.

Curiosities

Poor Man’s Tortelli are an example of how peasant cuisine could create delicious dishes using what was available without waste. These tortelli are often associated with Emilian cuisine, where the ricotta and spinach filling, also known as “erbazzone,” is very common.