Tortellini with spinach and ricotta
Delicate homemade tortellini filled with spinach and ricotta, tossed in a rich sage and pine nut butter. Perfectly balanced and elegant, this dish brings classic Italian comfort to your table.
Updated : 25 June, 2025
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
For the pasta
400 grams
Flour
3
Eggs
as needed
Semolina
For the filling
200 grams
Spinach
200 grams
Ricotta
30 grams
Parmesan
pinch
Nutmeg
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground black pepper
For the sauce
small handful
Pine nuts
small handful
Sage
50 grams
Butter
as needed
Parmesan
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
To make the pasta, mound the flour on a clean, flat surface and create a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and begin mixing gradually using your hands or a blunt knife, working the flour into the eggs until a thick dough begins to form. Use your hands to incorporate more flour as needed, being careful not to dry out the dough.
Step 2
Use sifted leftover flour to prevent sticking while kneading. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic. It's fine if some flour remains unused. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes, covered with an inverted bowl or wrapped in cling film.
Step 3
For the filling, combine the spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, and a pinch of nutmeg in a bowl. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 4
Divide the rested dough into four parts, keeping three portions covered while working with one. Roll out the dough into a long, thin strip, about 1mm thick, by hand or using a pasta machine. When it's thin enough to see your hand through, it’s ready. Cut the strip in half.
Step 5
Place teaspoons of filling in a row, spaced 5cm (2in) apart, down the center of one strip. Place the second strip on top, press out the air, and seal around each mound. Use a small wine glass or 7cm (3in) round cutter to cut out individual tortellini.
Step 6
Tortellini can be cooked immediately, stored in semolina for up to two hours, or frozen and cooked from frozen.
Step 7
To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently lower in the tortellini and cook for about 4 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape.
Step 8
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Preheat the grill to high. Toast pine nuts under the grill or in a dry frying pan until golden - watch closely as they brown quickly.
Step 9
Melt the butter in a frying pan with the toasted pine nuts and sage leaves, being careful not to burn it. Add a tablespoon of pasta water and stir to emulsify. Remove from heat.
Step 10
Drain the cooked tortellini and toss with the sage butter sauce. Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan.