Sourdough Tortellini
Tortellini are the most fiddly thing in this section and worth doing at least once. The fold looks impossible until it suddenly clicks, then you can do sixty in half an hour while listening to the radio.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 batch sourdough pasta dough (200g 00 flour, 100g discard, 2 eggs, ½ tsp salt)
Filling
- 150g ricotta, well drained
- 60g hard cheese, finely grated
- 1 egg yolk
- Nutmeg, salt and black pepper
To serve
- A good light broth, or 60g butter and grated cheese
Method
- Make the filling. Beat the ricotta, grated cheese and egg yolk together and season firmly with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Chill for at least 30 minutes — cold filling is far easier to handle.
- Prepare the dough. Make and rest the sourdough pasta dough as directed.
- Roll very thin. Roll to the thinnest setting on your machine. Tortellini are folded several times, so any thickness compounds.
- Cut squares. Cut the sheet into 5cm squares. Work with a few at a time and keep the rest covered with a damp cloth — these dry out quickly.
- Fill and fold. Place a small dot of filling in the centre of a square. Fold it corner to corner into a triangle and press out the air as you seal.
- Shape the ring. Hold the triangle with the long sealed edge facing you and the point upwards. Wrap the two base corners around your fingertip and pinch them firmly together.
- Set aside. Stand each finished tortellino on a semolina-dusted tray, point upwards. Continue until the dough is used.
- Cook gently. Simmer in broth or well-salted water for 3 minutes. Never let them boil hard — the seams will open.
No starter yet?
Every recipe here begins with a live culture. You can buy sourdough starter from us — lab-verified, active in about two hours, free UK delivery. Then keep the discard for pasta.
FAQ
What is the difference between tortellini and ravioli?
Ravioli are flat sealed parcels, usually square or round. Tortellini are folded into a triangle first and then wrapped around a fingertip into a ring. Tortellini are also typically smaller and served in broth.
How small should tortellini be?
Traditional Bolognese tortellini are tiny — cut from 3 to 4cm squares. Starting from 5cm squares is far more manageable while you learn the fold, and nobody will complain.
Can I make tortellini ahead?
Yes. Freeze them on a semolina-dusted tray until solid, then bag them, and cook from frozen with an extra minute. They can also sit in the fridge on a dusted tray for a day, though the dough darkens slightly.
Why do my tortellini keep unravelling?
Either the pasta has dried out and will not seal, or the pinch at the ring is not firm enough. Keep unused squares under a damp cloth, and press the two corners together hard enough to feel the dough bond.
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