Spinach-Filled Pasta

Ingredients

• 350 g hard wheat flour (or Type 405 flour)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt
• 500 g spinach
• 150 g ricotta
• 80 g Grana Padano (freshly grated)
• 2 Eggs
• Nutmeg (freshly grated)
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash and trim the spinach for the filling, then blanch it in boiling salted water for 5 minutes; drain well and squeeze out excess moisture. Place the soft spinach in a bowl and mash it with two forks until creamy, then squeeze again to remove more liquid. Mix the ricotta with the spinach. Season heavily with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then fold in the Grana Padano and eggs.

2. 2.

   For the pasta dough combine the flour with the eggs, 80 ml water, olive oil, and 1 tsp salt in a bowl and knead into a smooth, pliable dough. Shape into a ball, wrap in kitchen cloth, and let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Roll out the dough as thinly as possible on a floured surface or with a pasta machine. Cut circles (6 cm diameter) from the dough using a glass or a round cutter. Place a hazelnut-sized mound of filling on each circle. Fold the circles into half-moons, press the edges firmly together. Touch the two pointed ends and gently pull them slightly to lengthen; bring the ends together over a thumb and press tightly. Let the tortellini rest on a floured kitchen cloth for 1–2 hours.

3. 3.

   Cook in plenty of salted water for 4 minutes, drain, and serve as desired.