Tortelli Maremmani

Name: Tortelli Maremmani
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Toscana
Ingredients: 300 g tipo 00 flour; 3 large Eggs; 300 g swiss chard; 350 g ricotta di pecora (sheep's milk ricotta); 50 g pecorino toscano; 0.5 g whole nutmeg; 5 g Fine sea salt; 80 g Unsalted butter; 12 leaves fresh sage leaves

Large, square fresh pasta parcels from southern Tuscany stuffed with creamy ricotta and Swiss chard, served in fragrant sage butter.

🇮🇹Italy· Tuscany

Prep: 60 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 75 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

300 g tipo 00 flour — plus extra for dusting
3 large Eggs — at room temperature
300 g swiss chard — washed, thick stems trimmed
350 g ricotta di pecora (sheep's milk ricotta) — drained in a sieve overnight
50 g pecorino toscano — finely grated, plus extra to serve
½ g whole nutmeg — freshly grated, about a quarter teaspoon
5 g Fine sea salt — for filling and seasoning
80 g Unsalted butter — cubed
12 leaves fresh sage leaves — whole

Equipment

•Pasta machine or rolling pin
•Fluted pastry wheel
•Large stockpot
•Large frying pan
•Clean tea towel

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 60 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 21 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Tip flour onto a clean board, make a wide central well, and crack in whole eggs.
2
Whisk eggs with a fork, gradually incorporating surrounding flour until a rough dough forms.
3
Knead vigorously for ten minutes until the pasta dough is completely smooth and elastic.
4
Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
5
Blanch chard leaves in boiling water for two minutes until tender and deeply green.
6
Drain chard, squeeze out all residual moisture inside a tea towel, and chop finely.
7
Mix chopped chard, drained ricotta, grated pecorino, nutmeg, and salt until smooth and uniform.
8
Roll rested dough into thin sheets, roughly one millimetre thick, on a lightly floured surface.
9
Dollop generous walnut-sized mounds of filling along one pasta sheet, leaving wide spaces between.
10
Drape second sheet over, press out all air pockets, and cut large squares with a fluted wheel.
11
Boil tortelli in salted water for three to four minutes until tender and floating.
12
Melt butter with sage in a pan, toss gently with drained tortelli, and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Squeezing every drop of water from the cooked greens is critical to prevent a soggy filling. Traditional Maremman tortelli are distinctly larger than northern ravioli, typically around seven to eight centimetres square with a broad crimped pasta border. Always drain your sheep's milk ricotta in a sieve for several hours before mixing to ensure a firm, creamy texture.

Ingredient substitutions

Swiss chard → fresh spinach leaves, thoroughly blanched and squeezed dry
ricotta di pecora (sheep's milk ricotta) → well-drained whole cow's milk ricotta
Pecorino Toscano → Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano

Storage

Cook fresh on the day, or freeze in a single layer on a floured tray before bagging for up to one month.

Reheating

Drop frozen tortelli directly into vigorously boiling salted water and add an extra minute to the cooking time.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Failing to squeeze the cooked greens dry, which turns the filling runny and splits the pasta.
•Leaving air pockets around the filling mounds, causing tortelli to burst during boiling.
•Cutting the tortelli too small; traditional Maremmani are famously large pasta parcels.

Serving suggestions

Drizzle with warm sage butter and finish with a dusting of grated Pecorino Toscano.Serve coated in a slow-cooked Tuscan wild boar or beef ragù for a heartier presentation.Pair with a glass of Morellino di Scansano red wine from the Maremma region.