Angela's Italian Recipe for Tortellini alla Bolognese


Ingredients:

For the Fresh Pasta Dough:
7 oz (200 grams) plain flour, (Italian type "00" is great, plus extra for dusting
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt

For the Tortellini Filling:
2 oz (50 grams) minced veal
3 oz (80 grams) prosciutto, diced 1 and 1/2 oz (40 grams) Italian mortadella ham, diced
1 oz (25 grams) butter
2 tablespoons Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the Tomato Sauce:
9 oz (250 grams) canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, peeled
9 fresh basil leaves, torn Pinch of sugar 2 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt

Directions:

Prepare the Fresh Pasta Dough:
Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a mound on a work surface.

Make a well in the center and add the eggs.

Using your fingers, gradually mix the flour, then knead for about 10 minutes (If the mixture is too firm, add a little water; if it is a bit soft, add a little extra flour.

Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface or use a pasta machine to make a thin sheet.

Prepare the Tomato Sauce:
Put the tomatoes with their can juice (if using canned tomatoes) into a saucepan.

Add the sugar, garlic and a pinch of salt.

Cover and cook over a very low heat for about 30 minutes without stirring.

Mash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and, if using canned tomatoes, cook for another 15 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to cool.

Stir in the olive oil and basil.

Prepare the Tortellini Filling:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

Add the veal and cook over a high heat, stirring frequently, until browned. Transfer to a bowl, leave to cool, then stir in the Parmigiano cheese, prosciutto, mortadella ham and egg. Put small mounds of the filling at regular intervals on the pasta sheet and cut it into squares. Fold the squares corner to corner into triangles.

Then wrap each triangle around your index finger, press the points together and gently push the rest of the dough backwards to make the classic tortellini shape. Make 20 tortellini per person.

Serve with tomato sauce. Serves 4.