Tortellini great for a quick meal at home, but is also impressive for guests. Using gowgee skins makes the preparation of tortellini easier, a technique which many restaurants use, but can just as well make fresh pasta yourself and cut into. There is an endless selection of fillings and sauces that can be used for tortellini and while i prefer wild mushroom, try Spinach and Ricotta, or Chicken and Bacon.
Portions: 6 portions as a starter
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Ingredients
Sauteed Wild Mushrooms for Filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 20g dried wild mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, then finely chopped (reserve liquid)
- 200g mixed mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
Filling
- 300g ricotta
- 75g grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp basil leaves, finely chopped
- pinch of grated nutmeg
- generous pinch paprika
Tortellini
- 36 gowgee skins (or make fresh pasta)
To Serve
- 100g Gorgonzola cut into small cubes
- truffle oil
- grated parmesan
- chopped basil
Method
- Sauteed Wild Mushrooms for Filling: Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the garlic and half the dried wild mushrooms, sauté until the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the remaining mushrooms and thyme, sauté until the mushrooms are tender. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool.
- Filling: Place all the filling ingredients in a bowl along with the sauteed mushrooms. Mix with a fork until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Tortellini: Lay the gowgee skins out on a dry surface. Place a teaspoonful of the filling in the centre of each gowgee. Dampen around the edges with a little water and fold each gowgee in half and seal well. Dampen the corners and bring them together, pinching so that they are joined. Place on lightly oiled greaseproof or baking paper until ready to cook.
- To Cook the Pasta: Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, salting lightly. Place some of the tortellini in the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds until they rise to the top (do no overfill as they won't cook evenly). With a slotted spoon remove the tortellini and place in warmed bowls. Repeat this process until you have cooked all the tortellini.
- To Serve: Scatter the gorgonzola over the pasta. Drizzle over a little truffle oil and accompany with grated parmesan. Serve at once.
