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Tortelloni Ricordo di Erbazzone literally translates to tortelloni made from the memories of erbazzone. Growing up, on our days off my family would go out for the “aperitivo hour” — that time in the evening between 6:00 and 8:00 — for cocktails and nibbles. Erbazzone, a savory pie made with bitter greens, pancetta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of the classic aperitivo snacks from Reggio-Emilia in Emilia Romagna, a town close to Modena. As an homage to Jacques, whom I used to watch with my dad in my pajamas, I have created my version of erbazonne. Instead of a pie it is in the form of a stuffed tortelloni served with burro rosolato, salvia e Parmigiano; a butter and sage sauce with lots of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. It does take some work, but it’s worth it. Buon appetito!

Swiss Chard-Filled Tortelloni with Brown Butter-Sage Sauce (Tortelloni Ricordo di Erbazzone)

Stefano Secchi

Stefano Secchi

Category

Serves

4

To Make the Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon (211grams) 00 flour
  • 3 egg yolks (45 grams), at room temperature
  • 2 eggs (100 grams), at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Put the flour on a board and make a well. Drop the yolks and crack the whole eggs into the well and then add the olive oil. Using a fork, break up the yolks and eggs, then slowly start combining the eggs with the flour, continue using a bench/pastry scraper until incorporated. Using your hands, begin kneading the dough until all the flour is absorbed. Continue kneading until a smooth ball that gives a little bounce back when pressed with your thumb, about 10 minutes. If not, continue to knead, roll into a ball again, and then test again. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest, at room temperature, for about 20 minutes while preparing the filling.

To Make the Filling

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds Swiss chard
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced pancetta, optional
  • ½ medium yellow onion, minced
  • Fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

  1. Trim and discard the ends of the Swiss chard stems. Strip the leaves from the thick stems. Cut the stems into ¼-inch pieces and then coarsely chop the leaves. You will need 5 cups tightly packed Swiss chard. Keep the stems and leaves separate.
  2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta if using, and cook until slightly rendered, add the onions, Swiss chard stems and a pinch of salt, and sweat until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard leaves and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and any liquid has evaporated. Transfer the chard to the cup of a blender, add the Parmigiano, and blend until smooth. Taste and add salt if needed. Set aside to cool. You can make the filling to this point and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to shape the tortolloni, transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip.

To Shape and Finish the Tortelloni

Ingredients

  • Semolina flour
  • 00 flour, for dusting the dough

Method

  1. Dust a tray or baking sheet with semolina flour.
  2. Divide the rested dough ball into quarters. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the remaining pieces covered.
  3. Press the first piece into a disc. Roll the dough through the pasta machine set to the widest setting, reducing the thickness with each pass, until the second to the thinnest setting. You can laminate the dough by folding it in thirds and passing it through the machine and then in half an extra time or two. Add a little flour only as needed to keep from sticking.
  4. Cut the dough into 4 by 4-inch squares and pipe a quarter sized dollop of the filling in the middle. Mist with a bit of water or use your fingers to dampen the edges of the pasta and fold it into a triangle. Press down on the sides of the filling to secure the dough. Next, fold two of the tips of the triangle around your finger into a tortelloni. Set on the tray, cover with a towel, and repeat until all the pasta is used.
  5. Any extra tortelloni can be frozen. Set them on a tray or baking sheet in an even layer without touching and put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer them to bags and return to the freezer for up to one month.

To Serve

Ingredients

  • Sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 sage leaves
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat (it should taste like the sea).  Drop the tortelloni into the water and cook until they rise to the surface, about 4 minutes. Reserve ¾ cup of the pasta water.
  2. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a medium-sized sauté pan, over medium heat and cook, swirling, until it is brown and looks like a freshly brewed espresso. Remove from the heat and with the pan tilted away from you, add the sage leaves and then ½ cup of the pasta water. Return to the heat and cook for an additional 30 seconds, until the sauce is creamy and emulsified.
  3. Using a spider, transfer the tortelloni to the sage butter. Add the remaining ¼ cup of the pasta water if needed and stir to coat the tortelloni in the sauce. Serve with lots of Parmigiano Reggiano and Lambrusco di Sorbara or Grasparossa. Happy Cooking!

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