Ricotta and Lemon Tortellini with Tarragon and Ricotta Salata
Ingredients
For the pasta:
300g OO (strong) flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp filtered water
pinch of salt
3 whole eggs
For the filling:
300 g ricotta
zest of 1 lemon
100g ricotta salata (salted dried ricotta)
50 parmesan
¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
pinch flaked salt
1 for egg wash
¼ cup fine white semolina
For the sauce:
zest and juice juice of 1 lemon
100ml extra virgin olive oil
tarragon leaves to decorate
Filtered water for boiling
Instructions
Place the plain flour, salt, olive oil, filtered water and 3 eggs into a food processor and blend to a fine moist crumb. Turn the dough out onto the bench and knead into a ball. Continue to knead until the pasta is smooth, cohesive and elastic. Press the dough into a rough rectangle and wrap in cling wrap and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Unwrap the dough and place onto a lightly floured bench. Use a rolling pin to elongate the rectangle so that it will pass easily through the widest setting of your pasta machine. Turn the handle and feed the pasta through the machine, teasing the rolled dough along the bench as it feeds through the machine. Remember to lightly flour the pasta dough between each rolling to prevent the dough from sticking.
Repeat the process reducing the gap between the rollers each time it goes through until you reach the second last setting. The pasta should be thin but not so thin you can see your hand through it. The density gives mouth feel and some sturdiness to the tortellini. (On my pasta machine I started at 9 and went down to 5 - any thinner and I was starting to see my hand).
Meanwhile place a large pot of filtered water on the stove to boil. Add salt.
Cut 20, 10 cm circles out from the dough sheets with a pastry cutter and cover with a damp cloth.
Mix the drained ricotta and lemon zest from one lemon. Add the ricotta, grated salata and parmesan (leaving some to garnish) as well as ¾ of the tarragon leaves mix and season with salt and pepper.
Place a heaped teaspoon of the ricotta mixture in the centre of each pasta circle and brush half the edge with egg wash, then fold in half. Press the edge down with your fingers to seal in the mixture and form a little half moon or ravioli. Turn the two corners of the half moon shaped ravioli towards each other to form a tortellini. Stick the leading edges together and place onto a plate or tray sprinkled with the semolina.
Sit them up and set aside for a few minutes.
Place the second lemon zest and juice into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk in the extra virgin olive oil.
Place tortellini in boiling salted filtered water for 2 – 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and place them in a bowl. Drizzle with lemon oil, a few of the remaining tarragon leaves and grate the dried ricotta salata or parmesan over the top and serve.
Recipe by Hotly Spiced at http://hotlyspiced.com/brita-3-way-water-filter-tap-and-ricotta-and-lemon-tortellini/