Tortello di Carne con Tartufo Nero e Grana (Black truffle Tortello)
For years, I have enjoyed a very simple but very special dish at Osteria Antico Travaglio in Monteriggioni. The people at the Osteria and the food are memorable but recently, I decided to replicate it with our local ingredients and after a couple of different versions of stuffing and pastas, I think I got close to what I had experienced there.
The original recipe is finished “al cartoccio” which I will skip on my version.
Prep time: stuffing ~ 20 minutes, pasta ~ 10 minutes, resting pasta ~ 30 minutes. Making Tortello ~ 20 to 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
There are multiple ingredients but overall, it is very simple and quick to prepare as long as you follow a “mise en place” method.
Filling (impasto):
- 30 gm 90:10 ground beef
- 30 gm ground pork
- Pancetta — small amount (~1/4 cup)
- Olive oil — enough to cook the meat
- 1 Celery stick chopped
- 1 Small onion chopped
- 1 small Carrot chopped
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- Mediterranean spices — 1/2 tsp (or 1 sprig of rosemary + Sage — 7 to 8 leaves chopped)
- Black pepper to taste (1/4 tsp)
- Salt to taste
- White wine 1/4 cup
- 1 egg
- Prosciutto Cotto (cooked ham) 1–2 slices — cut in squares
- Salami 4–5 slices (small size) — cut in squares
- 1 slice rustic bread chopped (~20 gm) (or bread crumps)
- 40–50 gm grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 chopped Cremini mushrooms
- 1 tbsp. of Black Truffle butter
- Nutmeg to taste (1/4 tsp)
- Grated orange zest ~ 1 tsp
Pasta:
This is a 60:40 mix of wheat flour and semolina. I believe this is the best balance of flavors and consistency for this pasta but you can use your own recipe.
180 gm flour
140 gm semolina
Salt 1/2 tsp
2 eggs
Water
Preparation of filling:
Add olive oil to the pan and cook the onion, carrot, and celery with the pancetta for 5–8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and truffle butter (or truffle). Then, add the meat and sear lightly. Add wine, herbs, salt + pepper. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
Then, put it in the food processor. Add bread, prosciutto, parmesan cheese, salami, orange zest, nutmeg, and egg. Mix for a minute or two to create a chunky mix (not baby food consistency!).
Set aside.
Preparation of Pasta:
Mix semolina, wheat flour, and salt. Pass through the colander twice to remove any potential clumps. On a counter, create a flour well and add the 2 eggs. Mix by hand. Add water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. The amount of water will depend on the humidity. Depending on the day, I add more or less water to get the right consistency. The goal is a slightly soft play dough consistency (it can’t be too soft).
Let it rest on a plastic bag for 30–40 minutes.
Preparing the Tortello:
To create a good seal, make a wash with 1 egg and 1/4 cup of milk. Set aside.
Flatten pasta with a rolling pin on a floured surface to about 2 mm thin (thick pasta overpowers the flavor of the Tortello with a flour taste). Cut in squares depending on the desired size of the Tortello.
For the size seen in the picture, I cut the squares at 6 cm.
Brush or spray the edge pf the pasta with a small amount of water. This will help the pasta stick (I prefer a small sprayer refillable bottle).
Put a small amount of filling in the center and close folding in a triangular fashion. Gently press the edges to close the pasta. Then, gently fold the base of the triangle and press the corners together to create the Tortello. Set aside on a floured surface.
Flour the surface with semolina to decrease the chance of sticking but regardless, always use a thin metal spatula to separate them from the surface. Let rest over a piece of parchment paper until you’re done with all the pasta.
(There are many online videos on how to make the shape of Tortello. Here is a good video. FYI, Tortello is just a big tortellini.)
Truffle Sauce | White Sauce:
Heat olive oil and add 1–2 heaping tbsp. of black truffle butter. Add more if desired. Add a couple of leaves of sage. Low fire for a couple of minutes to infuse the oil. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and cook for a couple of minutes, Add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Skip the truffle butter (use regular salted butter instead) for white sage sauce.
Cooking the Tortello:
Cook the Tortello in hot salty water until they float. Remove and finish in the truffle sauce.
Add the Tortello to the Truffle sauce. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
Serve and top with the sauce. Add a drizzle of olive oil.
Add Parmesan cheese to taste.
One final note, this recipe is better enjoyed when fresh. I have tried preserving the Tortello for next day but the pasta is not as tasty.
Enjoy!
For the wine drinkers: Wine taste is subjective and you should drink whatever makes you happy. However, a good Brunello di Montalcino or Chianti Classico Riserva would be great and a more complete experience since these are the wines of the region.
