Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh pasta sheets
- 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (plus more to serve)
- 1 cup fresh ricotta (strained)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1/4 cup coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- For the Special
- 1 whole wheel of Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup Roman brandy
- For the Spectacular
- freshly shaved black summer truffles
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the cheeses, black pepper, half the olive oil and salt in a bowl. Stir to combine.
Dust a baking sheet with semolina.
Cut the pasta into 2 inch squares. Place 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture in the center of each pasta square. Using a bit of water to seal the edges, fold the opposite corners together to form a triangle and press the edges together firmly to seal. Bring the long points of the triangle together and join with firm finger pressure. Continue with remaining ingredients. Set aside the formed tortellini on the prepared pan.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until all of the tortellini floats to the top of the boiling water. Drain well.
Melt butter and the rest of the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the cooked tortellini and a few tablespoons of pasta water. Toss to coat.
Serve tortellini with more grated Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.
Makes 6-8 servings.
For the Special:
Add the brandy to the sauté pan with the tortellini. Flambé the brandy, and let the alcohol burn away. Then, hollow out a shallow well in a wheel of Pecorino Romano cheese. Add the tortellini to the wheel of cheese. Finish with more grated Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.
For the Spectacular: Top the dish with freshly shaved truffles!
Tips:
- Make the tortellini ahead of time. Freeze them on sheet trays. Then transfer them to a zip-top bag and store in the freezer.
- Don't over-stuff the tortellini when filling or they will explode.