A few years ago, one of my cousins from Northern Italy came to live in New York. At the time she was

A few years ago, one of my cousins from Northern Italy came to live in New York. At the time she was working as an art conservation scientist and came specifically to work with modern art.  She is now back in Italy and I miss her every day. My fondest memories are our times in the kitchen. Tortelloni is a specialty of her town. When her fiancé Alberto came to visit, he shared his mother’s recipe with me.Ricotta + Spinach Tortelloniserves 6the pasta:500 g semolina4 eggs4 T waterthe filling:4 ½ c fresh sheeps milk ricotta1 1/3 c grated parmigiano reggiano1 ¾ c spinach, boiled + strained, then squeezed with a cheese cloth to remove all water2 eggs1 t freshly grated nutmega pinch of s + p1. Make the pasta. Place semolina, eggs and water in your food processor. Pulse to start then let run for a minute. Pour out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for another minute. If too dry, dip your finger tips in a bowl of water and keep kneading. If too wet, sprinkle with flour as necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. 2. Add the ricotta, parmigiano, spinach, eggs, nutmeg and s + p to a large bowl. Using your hands, mix together thoroughly. 3. Begin rolling out the pasta, one golfball sized portion at a time. Be sure to keep the rest of the dough tightly wrapped when not using it to be sure it doesn’t dry out. Starting with the widest setting on your pasta machine, roll out the dough, folding it over itself and pushing through again until you have a uniform shape. Then gradually make your way down to setting 2. 4. Using a pastry wheel, cut 2.5 inch squares. Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each square. Lightly we the edges with water using the tip of your finger and close to a triangle shape. Press all edges to secure filling. Then take two corners and press them together to complete the tortelloni shape. Place on a pan lined with parchment paper or a kitchen towel. Repeat this procedure until all the dough and filling has been used. To eat right away, cook in salted boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with a sauce of melted butter and sage or your favorite tomato sauce with a splash or two of panna mixed in. Both sauces are best when topped with grated parmigiano reggiano.To eat at a later date, freeze on the sheet pan, when frozen transfer to a large ziplock for storage. Then when ready to eat, boil in salted boiling water for 10-11 minutes. -- source link

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