Ricotta, Pea and Lemon Tortelloni

How to make the tortelloni

1. Tip the flour onto a wooden board or wooden tabletop and form a well in the centre with your fingers.
2. Crack the two eggs into the well and add a pinch of salt.
3. With your fingertips or a fork gently introduce the flour to the egg mixture, being careful not to break the walls of the well and lose any of the egg mixture.
4. Form the mixture into a pliable dough. If there is any excess flour that will not incorporate into the dough, scrape it away.
5. Knead the dough using the heels of both hands until the dough has become smooth and silky with a light spring back when pushed with your fingertips. Kneading by hand will take around 7 - 10 minutes. If the dough is a little dry, add 1 tbsp of olive oil or if the dough is too wet add a little more flour.
6. Cover the dough with a bowl or with a tea towel for a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature.
7. Once the dough has rested, you can either roll the dough by hand using a thin rolling pin or use a pasta machine. You should always work with the dough in small portions; cut the dough in half then take the first half and cover the rest.
8. If using a pasta machine set it to the widest setting, flatten and lightly flour the dough then feed it through the machine. Fold the dough back over itself like an envelope and feed through the widest setting for a second time.
9. Then increase a notch at a time on the machine and feed the dough through on each setting, narrowing the rollers. There is no need to envelope the dough at this stage, you are trying to lengthen it.
10. Stop at the second to last setting on the pasta machine (2.5mm – 3mm of thickness)
11. Once the pasta is rolled into a sheet, cut out 10cm diameter circles using a cookie cutter or glass.

How to make the pea & ricotta filling

1. Blanch the peas for 3 minutes, then drain, run under cold water to cool and then drain again well.
2. Put the ricotta, grated Parmigiano, chopped mint, lemon zest, grated nutmeg and one egg into a bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently mix together the ingredients with either your hands or a spatula.
3. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and set aside in the fridge until you need to use it to fill your tortelloni. 

How to prepare the tortelloni

1. Space the rounds as close together as possible and place 1 generous teaspoon of filling in the middle of each round of pasta.
2. Dip your finger in a bowl of water and run it along the edge of each round to moisten.
3. Fold the dough over to form a half moon, then draw the two corners together to form a rounded bonnet-shape and press tightly to join.
4. Toss with flour; set aside on a well floured baking sheet, and cover.
5. Bring a medium sized pot, half full of water, to the boil. Add salt to taste.

How to make the zabaglione sauce

1. Take the guanciale meat strips and put them in a hot pan on a low heat to “sweat” without adding any oil. Use a fork to occasionally stir the meat to prevent the strips from sticking together. Once browned, the guanciale should be slightly crunchy on the outside, but still soft on the inside. When the meat is ready, drain the guanciale from any excess fat and put aside on a plate.
2. Add 4 eggs yolks and 2 whole eggs into a bowl and heat in a bain-marie (see note at the bottom of the page & watch video for help). Beat the eggs vigorously with a whisk to incorporate air.
3. Continue beating to incorporate more air and add the brown sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture foams and starts to thicken (you may not need to use all the sugar). The zabaglione sauce will be ready once the whisk leaves an impression in the mixture, and then when lifted up, drops a fairly solid ribbon trail on the surface of the mixture.
4. When ready, add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and remove the sauce from the heat. Keep whisking for another couple of minutes.

Cooking the tortelloni

1. When the water is boiling, lower the tortelloni into the water, a few at a time, with a slotted spoon.
2. Stir the pot occasionally to prevent the tortelloni from sticking to the pot or each other.
3. Cook until all the tortelloni float to the surface of the water, about 5 minutes. The tortelloni should puff up and become whiter as the dough cooks.
4. Taste one to check it’s cooked. Keep the cooking water for the next step.

Putting the dish together

1. While the tortelloni is cooking, put the pan used put the pan used for browning the guanciale back on a low heat and add a knob of butter.
2. Once the butter is bubbling, add half a cup of cooking water, keeping the pan on a low heat.
3. Drain the tortelloni and add them to the pan to glaze with the butter and water mixture for approximately 1 minute. This should make the tortelloni look silky and wet, but not watery.
4. Serve the tortelloni on a plate, top with the zabaglione sauce and the crispy guanciale.