By In The Kitchen With Stefano Faita
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter
5 ounces ground veal
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 ounces prosciutto, roughly chopped
3 1/2 ounces mortadella, roughly chopped
2 eggs
2 to 3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Assembly
Basic Pasta Dough
Veal Bolognese Sauce
Semolina or all-purpose flour, as needed
Parmesan cheese, for serving
PREPARATION
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add veal, breaking up with back of wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked through, browned and no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add cooked veal, prosciutto, mortadella, eggs, 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and nutmeg to food processor. Purée until smooth. If filling is too moist, add more cheese. Refrigerate filling until ready to use. When ready to stuff the pasta, transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. (Alternatively, if you don’t have a pastry bag, use 2 spoons to fill the pasta.)
Assembly
Cut rested Basic Pasta Dough into 4 pieces. Cover unused dough in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
Using a pasta machine and starting at the thickest setting, roll dough through machine. Reduce setting one mark each time you roll the dough through machine, ending at the second last (thinnest) setting.
When making the tortelloni, work quickly and in batches to prevent pasta from drying out. Line 2 baking sheets with a tea towel or parchment paper and dust with flour.
Cut out rounds of pasta using a 2 1/2-inch to 3-inch cookie cutter. Place scant 1 tsp. filling onto centre each round. Brush edges of pasta rounds with water. Fold pasta to cover the filling. Press out any air pockets with your finger tip. Then bring the corners together, wrapping it around your finger to make the classic tortelloni shape. Pinch the corners together where they join. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Makes 48 to 56 tortelloni.
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt. If needed, cook tortelloni in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Cook until pasta is al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain gently or remove with a slotted spoon.
Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently toss tortelloni with Veal Bolognese Sauce. Serve tortelloni with grated Parmesan cheese.
To freeze tortelloni: Make sure they are spaced on a baking sheet(s) without touching. Freeze on baking sheet until frozen solid and then transfer to freezer bags or airtight container. Cook from frozen.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.