Tortelloni
Larger cousins of tortellini, tortelloni are generously sized filled pasta typically stuffed with ricotta and greens or other vegetable-based fillings. They are folded into triangles or half-moons and often served with butter and sage.
History & Tradition
Tortelloni are the larger version of tortellini, with the -oni suffix indicating their greater size. While tortellini are traditionally filled with a meat mixture and served in broth, tortelloni typically contain ricotta-based or vegetable fillings and are served as pastasciutta with butter, sage, and Parmigiano. They share the same deep roots in Emilia-Romagna's pasta tradition, where homemade stuffed pasta has been a hallmark of feast-day cooking since the Middle Ages. The term tortello, from which both tortellini and tortelloni derive, traces back to the Latin turta, meaning something filled.
Dough
How to Make
- Make an egg dough and roll it into a thin sheet.
- Cut the sheet into squares about 3 inches across.
- Place a walnut-sized blob of filling in the center of each square.
- Fold the square diagonally to form a triangle and press edges to seal.
- Optionally, draw the two base corners together to form a larger ring shape.
- Place on a semolina-dusted tray.
- Boil in salted water until they float to the surface, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve with melted butter and sage, or with meat ragu.