Stuffed pasta is a real world apart. It was born and developed from the 12th century in central-northern Italy and in particular in the Po Valley.
Nowadays pastas such as the mushroom tortelli with mushroom sauce that we offer you are considered a party dish. Its origin is rather linked to black hunger, that which did not cause even the smallest crumbs to be thrown away: pieces of meat, fish, bread, cheese, vegetables… in short, everything that could be collected and reused. Small quantities that, after having been enriched (if possible) with fats and aromas, were used either to make meatballs if the quantity was sufficient, or to fill “bags” of pasta.
The names of these pastas are numerous and different from one area to another., often also to indicate the same type of pasta. The mushroom tortelli in the photo, for example, are called that in Tuscany, but in Liguria they are called ravioli, in Piedmont agnolotti and in other places pansotti.
Names that traditionally refer to the preparation methods or the final form. This is the case of tortelli, tortellini and tortelloni that are made of twisted pasta, folded on itself to wrap and close the filling. HE hats, pansotti (potbellied), anolini AND agnolotti (from anellotti = folded in the shape of a ring) instead recall the final appearance.
The exceptions are: Ravioliwhose name derives from medieval Latin rabiola = little turnip The reference, in this case, is not to the pasta we know today, but simply to the filling ball. In fact, until the beginning of the 20th century, ravioli was not a filled pasta, but simply a ball of food (ricotta, cooked vegetables, eggs, parmesan and nutmeg) that was floured and cooked in water or broth.
In this ancient tradition common to at least five regions You will find the mushroom tortelli that we propose. An interregional dish, which has now become typically national, since It is identical and ready in every corner of Italy..
Is it worth buying these industrially produced pastas or is it preferable to spend a whole morning at home to prepare a plate of ravioli with our own hands? Good! Up to you. Of course, the satisfaction of doing it yourself is great and capable of maximizing any taste. But if you don’t feel capable, if you want to spend your time in another way, if you don’t feel like it… industrial tortelli are good, bought already made. Especially since they can be found everywhere at reasonable prices and, above all, of excellent quality.
Instead, it deserves to put a lot of added value into the seasoning. As in the case of the mushroom sauce, which we recommend accompanying with mushroom tortelli, instead of the usual butter, sage and parmesan dressing.
- 500 g tortelli with mushroom filling
- 300 g fresh mushrooms (or other fresh mushrooms)
- 15 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 400 g peeled tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Parsley
- Parmesan
- Pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Clean the mushrooms and rinse them quickly to remove any traces of dirt. Dry them between two cloths and chop them coarsely. Separately, soak the dried mushrooms in a cup of warm water.
- Crush the garlic cloves and fry for 3 minutes in a frying pan with 3 tablespoons of oil and a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Over very sweet heat and with a lid.
- Add the mushrooms to the sauce and brown them for 5 minutes over moderate heat, without the lid and stirring several times.
- Drain the porcini mushrooms without draining them and add them to the mushrooms along with the peeled tomatoes. We let it cook for 15 minutes over low heat and half covered, so that the mushroom sauce thickens as much as possible. Two minutes before turning off, remove the garlic, season with salt and season with a generous pinch of pepper.
- Drain the pasta following the manufacturer’s instructions and season it with your mushroom sauce. Serve hot sprinkled with grated parmesan.
