We propose to you two recipes: one more difficult the “tortellini” (make sure you are followed by someone in your family or friends who has more experience in cooking), and another one easier and has a vegan option: the “piadina romagnola”. You can choose to try to prepare both of them or just one.
TORTELLINI IN BRODOhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxfOXi2HdhY (Have a look at the video before to show off your skills as an expert cook)
GET THE INGREDIENTSThe pastry:
- 3 eggs
- 300 g. of flourThe stuffing:
- 300 g. pork loin browned with butter
- 300 g. raw ham
- 300 g. of mortadella
- 400 g. of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 nutmeg
PREPARE THE TORTELLINIMake a hole in the center of the flour, pour the eggs into it and start beating with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour. Knead the dough for about ten minutes and leave to rest. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing: chop the meat very finely and add the eggs, the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the nutmeg, and leave to rest for at least 12 hours in the fridge. Roll out the dough on a wooden cutting board with a rolling pin until it is very thin. Cut squares of about 3 centimeters on each side and place a nut of filling on each square. Fold the pasta into a triangle by matching the sides, and wrap the triangle around your finger. Overlapping the two opposite corners, press the tortellino so that the pasta sticks firmly. Cook the tortellini in broth, leave them on for two minutes and serve them.
PIADINA ROMAGNOLAhttps://youtu.be/XVhoqEQX9kk?t=221 (Have a look at the video before to show off your cooking skills!)
GET THE INGREDIENTS
- 500 g of flour
- 70 g of excellent lard (for vegan version you can use 70 g of seed oil)
- 2 pinches of bicarbonate (about 3 g) or 100 g of baking powder for savory pies
- 8 g of sweet salt
- water, as needed
PREPARE THE PIADINAMound the flour on a working surface, then add pieces of lard/oil, baking soda or baking powder, and salt. Start mixing and adding water, then kneading until you have a dough.Divide into 150 gr balls and then roll each out into a round, ranging from 2-3 to 6-8 mm in thickness.Bake each on a hot non-stick pan or a griddle, turning them once done on one side with a spatula.TIPS: Although the original recipe does not state it, most other recipes instruct that you rest the dough up to an hour before you roll it out. You should aim for a thickness of 2-3 mm, but piadina can be made even thicker, about 6-8 mm. Also, to prevent any large bubbles from forming during baking, prick the circles of dough with a fork. Cook on a non-stick pan or a griddle, and flip the piadina with a spatula, as that way you do not run the risk of piercing the small bubbles that have formed on the surface.
What to fill your piadina with:
- Parma ham or other cured meats (salami), soft cheese (the original squacquerone or cream cheese, or ricotta) and arugula/rocket;
- roasted/caramelized onions and peppers;
- cooked ham, fontina or taleggio or asiago cheese and mushrooms mayonnaise;
- porchetta with onions;
- smoked cheese and ham;
- bell peppers and sausage;
- cooked ham, mozzarella, mushrooms;
- Parma ham, mozzarella and tomatoes;
- mortadella (not baloney of course);
- wurst and mustard (hot dog style);
- sausage, pepperoni, onion and hot sauce;
- sausage, onion, bell peppers and beans;
- bacon cooked with balsamic vinegar and radicchi