Smoked burrata and beetroot tortelli, chard & hazelnuts

Smoked burrata and beetroot tortelli with rainbow chard and hazelnuts

This recipe is from my latest cookbook, BETTER THAN NONNA, find it here!

I love this dish so much, to me it is a great introduction to a modernized way to intend Italian food to anyone who is not really accustomed to it but still loves pasta and Italian produce in general. The reason being is because it is very attractive, yet recognizable and approachable (in fact it is approachable!)

The pink pasta is a cleaver use of the often forgotten beetroot in your fridge and the smoke burrata add a depth of flavor that really surprise. Greens, balsamic and nuts close the circle to a very well balanced dish if I say so myself.

If smoked burrata proves difficult to find, ricotta works too but I also suggest to get a regular burrata and smoke it yourself – Drain it – Season it salt and pepper to drain – smoke it for 20 minutes in a close box with a twig of rosemary – let it breath in the fridge for 1 h.

Serve – 4 // Prep time – 60 minutes

Ingredients

For the pink pasta

• 150 whole eggs (about 3)

• 40 g natural beetroot extract or puree from boiled beets

• 380 gr of 00 pasta flour

For the filling

• 200 g smoked burrata

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

• 300 gr of rainbow chard

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 40gr of toasted hazelnuts

• 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

 Method

Beat the eggs and the beetroot purée together with a fork and incorporate the flour gradually. When the ingredients start to bind together knead by hands with energy. Remember, during this step it is important to stretch and pull your dough while kneading to allow the flour’s gluten to start working and therefore obtain and elastic dough. After a few minutes of working it will slowly come together and result in a smooth and homogeneous dough. As not all eggs are the same, if your dough feels too sticky to your hands, feel free to add a spoon of flour, if too dry and not binding, you can add a touch of egg white or even a splash of water.

When ready, wrap your dough in film and leave to rest for about 30 minutes, this will allow the dough to ‘relax’ and not being too elastic when shaping your pasta.

For the filling simply blitz the smoked burrata in a food processor to create a smooth ‘piping’ consistency. Season only if necessary. Place it into a piping bag and keep refrigerated.

Proceed to roll the dough into thin pasta sheets. If you have a wooden board great, if you don’t a clean surface will work. Slice the pasta into thick sheets and flatten them with a rolling pin. With the help of a pasta machine, roll the pasta out. (This can also be done by hand using a rolling pin and elbow grease as well). Pass the pasta gradually from the largest setting to the narrower settings to make thin pasta sheets. The sheet needs to be less than 1.5 mm thick to allow the filling to ‘explode’ in your mouth.

It is a good habit to allow your pasta sheets to dry for a few moment on your board before cutting it into any shapes and remember to dust with extra flour only if it feels to wet and humid on your hands

Now it is time to fold the tortelli. Cut the pasta into 6cm circles and place a dollop of filling in the middle of each of them. Do not attempt in doing all the tortelli together as the pasta will dry out while you are making them. I recommend covering the rolled pasta with cling film to prevent this. To close them, fold them in half to create a half moon shape, press to seal and extract all the air to avoid air pockets. Now pinch while folding the 2 edges together to create the tortelli. If the pasta dries and the edges don’t stick, simply brush them with a little water. It is not as complicated as it sounds, I promise!

Check out my other videos for extra tips on how to work the pasta dough

To prepare the dressing trim and wash the chard and remove the woody part of the stalk and keep the leaf and stem separate from each other.

Sweat the chopped onion in a large pan with olive oil and a pinch of salt. When soft, add part of the chard (keep some leaves intact to garnish) and a ladle of water. Cook for 6/7 minutes then blend. Season to taste.

Quickly pan fry the remaining chard in olive oil with a pinch of salt until cooked. I don’t mind a few crunchy spots on them.

Cook the tortelli in salted boiling water for just 2 minutes then glaze them with a knob of butter. Pour 2 spoons of chard puree on the base of the plate then top with the cooked tortelli in a orderly manner. Garnish with the leaves as you please and sprinkle the toasted hazelnut and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.