FAVORITE RECIPE FROM ITALY

TORTELLI di PATATE al FUNGHI PORCINI Serves 4

Egg Pasta:

7 ounces semolina flour

2 eggs

Pinch salt

Place the flour on a flat surface. Make a crater in the center. Break the eggs and sprinkle the salt into the crater. Mix the ingredients together rigorously until you obtain a smooth and even mixture. Bring the dough together with your hands and form a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and let it set for 30 minutes. Meanwhile make the filling and sauce.

Filling:

13 ounces white potatoes, boiled and mashed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ounce extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped

1 1/2 ounces grated Grana Padano cheese

Dash nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil and saute the garlic, rosemary, and pancetta. Removed the pancetta and add to the potatoes. Mix in the eggs and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sauce:

10 ounces fresh porcini mushrooms

1 1/2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 ounce butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Salt to taste

1 1/2 ounces grated Grana Padano cheese, optional

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Clean the caps with care, rubbing them lightly with a wet cotton cloth or soft brush. Remove the green sponge from beneath the caps. Cut the caps into small cubes.

Heat the olive oil with the garlic. Add the porcini and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and parsley. Season to taste with salt. Cook 2 more minutes.

Put on a pot of water to boil. Roll the pasta dough very thin. Cut disks about 5 centimeters in diameter. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the centers. Close and prick with a fork. Boil the tortelli in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain. Mix cheese with sauce if using cheese and dress tortelli with sauce.