Goat Cheese Tortellini with Pancetta, Sweet Peas, and Mint
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Goat Cheese Tortellini with Pancetta, Sweet Peas, and Mint
By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Yield/Serves:
Makes 4 servings
- Filling:
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese, strained (see instructions below)
- ¼ cup fresh goat cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Fresh Pasta Dough»
- Semolina flour for dusting
- Tortellini:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
- 8 ounces pancetta, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups shelled fresh peas, or frozen if fresh is unavailable, thawed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 20 fresh mint leaves, cut into ribbons
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, plus more for serving
Fresh tortellini seem complicated to make, but by following a simple folding procedure and spending a little extra time, you can have delicious fresh tortellini! If you want to stock up, freeze tortellini in a single layer, then transfer to sealable bags for long-term storage.
To make the filling: Strain ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl for at least 1 hour to remove excess liquid. Transfer ricotta to a medium bowl, add goat cheese, lemon zest, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, salt, and pepper; using a silicone spatula, fold to combine and set aside.
To prepare the pasta: Roll fresh pasta out into paper-thin sheets. Use a 3-inch pastry cutter to make rounds, dust the tops of the pasta rounds with flour and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or a piece of plastic wrap. Repeat until all the pasta dough is used. (You can gather the pasta scraps and reroll them to make more rounds, as long as they are still soft and workable.)
Fill and shape the tortellini: Gather pasta rounds, the filling, a baking sheet coated with flour and a small bowl of water together next to a clean workspace. Line up 3 pasta rounds and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each. Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it along the edge of the round to moisten. Fold the dough over to form a half moon and press to seal. Next, draw the two corners together to form a rounded bonnet shape, and press the ends tightly together to seal. Place the tortellini on the floured baking sheet and repeat with remaining pasta rounds and filling.
To prepare the sauce: To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add pancetta and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Reduce heat to medium and discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add butter, shallot, and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. If using fresh peas, add peas and ½ cup hot water. Stir well and simmer until peas are bright green and tender, about 1 minute. (Omit water if using previously frozen peas.) Remove pan from heat; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside while preparing tortellini.
To cook the tortellini: Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Generously season water with salt. Add tortellini and stir gently to prevent pasta from sticking together. Boil until the tortellini rise to the top of the water and filling is hot and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Reserve about a cup of pasta water and use a fine-mesh sieve to transfer hot tortellini to skillet with sauce. Gently toss the pasta with the sauce, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Add crispy pancetta and lemon juice and gently toss to combine. (Don’t toss too much, or pasta will break apart.)
To serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Divide tortellini among pasta bowls. Garnish with mint leaves, grated cheese, and freshly ground pepper; serve immediately.
To make the filling: Strain ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl for at least 1 hour to remove excess liquid. Transfer ricotta to a medium bowl, add goat cheese, lemon zest, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, salt, and pepper; using a silicone spatula, fold to combine and set aside.
To prepare the pasta: Roll fresh pasta out into paper-thin sheets. Use a 3-inch pastry cutter to make rounds, dust the tops of the pasta rounds with flour and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or a piece of plastic wrap. Repeat until all the pasta dough is used. (You can gather the pasta scraps and reroll them to make more rounds, as long as they are still soft and workable.)
Fill and shape the tortellini: Gather pasta rounds, the filling, a baking sheet coated with flour and a small bowl of water together next to a clean workspace. Line up 3 pasta rounds and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each. Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it along the edge of the round to moisten. Fold the dough over to form a half moon and press to seal. Next, draw the two corners together to form a rounded bonnet shape, and press the ends tightly together to seal. Place the tortellini on the floured baking sheet and repeat with remaining pasta rounds and filling.
To prepare the sauce: To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add pancetta and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Reduce heat to medium and discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add butter, shallot, and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. If using fresh peas, add peas and ½ cup hot water. Stir well and simmer until peas are bright green and tender, about 1 minute. (Omit water if using previously frozen peas.) Remove pan from heat; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside while preparing tortellini.
To cook the tortellini: Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Generously season water with salt. Add tortellini and stir gently to prevent pasta from sticking together. Boil until the tortellini rise to the top of the water and filling is hot and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Reserve about a cup of pasta water and use a fine-mesh sieve to transfer hot tortellini to skillet with sauce. Gently toss the pasta with the sauce, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Add crispy pancetta and lemon juice and gently toss to combine. (Don’t toss too much, or pasta will break apart.)
To serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Divide tortellini among pasta bowls. Garnish with mint leaves, grated cheese, and freshly ground pepper; serve immediately.