Lemon Ricotta Tortellini with Tomato Sugo

The first time I made homemade pasta and saw how simple it was (for some reason I had imagined it to be much more complicated), I decided to make my own pasta always. I didn't even have a pasta machine, I rolled it out with a rolling pin, rolled it up and cut it to make tagliatelle. With my roommates we experimented with squid ink, spinach, turmeric, etc. to give different colors and aromas.

Then a friend joined and we started making stuffed pasta. We would meet one day a week around midday, and chatting, with a glass of red wine we would get to work. We would finish preparing the pasta at five in the afternoon, starving and already a little more than tipsy. And we enjoyed it like the kids I now think we were. What good memories!

I won't deny that making stuffed pasta by hand, one by one, filling and shaping it is laborious. But if you find a partner so you don't get bored and you treat yourself to a glass or two of wine while you make it — then you'll enjoy the preparation as much as the final result.

And eating pasta that was made one by one always makes me pause much more while eating it. Knowing the work that goes into each tortellini, I concentrate hard to perceive the texture, the blend of aromas and flavors. I eat it very slowly, savoring each bite.

And this recipe, being stuffed pasta, is one of the simplest. You don't need to cook the filling, just mix the ingredients. And it's still one of my favorites. Because the filling is smooth and creamy, yet surprising with a touch of lemon and the tomato sugo has very few ingredients, but it turns out spectacular when the tomatoes are in season.

Notes:

• The recipe is for 4, but I think you can make stuffed pasta by hand for a maximum of two people without getting exhausted. If you want to make this recipe for more than two, I recommend inviting the diners to take part in the preparation (that's when it's really fun!).

• If you want to make this recipe for two, you can store the rest of the dough in a tupperware, a waxed cloth or a damp cloth in the fridge and make tagliatelle the next day (or more tortellini, I know they're so good you want to make them again right away ;-).

INGREDIENTS

For the pasta dough:

• 280g / 2 cups spelt flour or special pasta flour (type 00)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon water

For the filling:

• 1 Ricotta (250 g)
• 1 organic lemon (zest and juice)
• 1 handful fresh basil (optional)

For the tomato sugo*:

• About 400 g cherry tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (you can substitute with coconut or brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon salt

*If you want to skip making it at home and substitute the sugo with a natural tomato sauce, in the pantry section we have a salsa de pomodoro authentic one from Italy that is very natural and healthy (it's 100% pressed tomato juice, nothing else).

To serve (optional):

• Sage leaves fried in oil or butter
• Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

1. We start with the pasta dough. Mix the flour salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the egg and, little by little, the water. Mix with your hands until you obtain a homogeneous dough. Let rest for 20 minutes to allow the gluten to develop and the dough to become more elastic.
2. Meanwhile, mix the ricotta with the zest and the lemon juice. If using basil, chop it and add it. Mix with a fork.
3. When the dough has rested, divide it into 4 equal portions. Shape it into a rectangle with your hands, flattening it a little, so it fits well in the pasta machine (if you don't have a pasta machine, roll the dough out with a rolling pin, it won't be as thin, but it works too).
4. Flour the dough a little so it doesn't stick. Pass the dough through the machine set to the largest thickness. Repeat with the next thinner setting and so on until you reach the penultimate setting (I usually go two settings at a time, it works very well). If you see the dough getting too long, cut it in two. Once you have the pasta at the thickness you want, make sure to leave it on a well-floured surface so it doesn't stick. Continue with the rest of the dough until you have several strips. With a round cookie cutter about 7cm in diameter (or a glass), cut as many circles as you can.
5. Gather the dough scraps, form a ball and roll out and cut again until you have all the dough in circles.
6. Put half a teaspoon of filling on each circle. It's important not to overdo it, because otherwise the filling ends up coming out and it's hard to get the desired shape. Keep a bowl with a little water at your side to wet the edges and seal the tortellini.
7. Fold the tortellini in half and gently press the edges so it is well sealed.
8. Place the tortellini — which should now be shaped like a half moon — so the straight edge faces you. Stretch the two corners toward you and slightly upward and press the tips together. Repeat! Place the tortellini on a plate or a floured surface.
9. For the tomato sugo, cut the tomatoes in half.
10. Add butter, oil and syrup to a pot and heat over high heat.
11. Once the butter has melted, add the tomatoes, cover and cook on high heat for 5 min.
12. Add the salt and balsamic and continue cooking for another 5-10 min on high heat, stirring occasionally.
13. For the pasta, bring salted water to a boil. Once it boils, add the tortellini (carefully, one by one) and boil until they rise to the surface. I leave them one more minute once they've risen.
14. Mix with the tomato sugo and serve hot. Enjoy!

Ricotta tortellinis prepared with the Imperia SP150 pasta machine