LIVE Cooking Class:: Let's Make Tortellini

 Ciao everyone! While we are all at home, our La Fortezza chef, Philip Meeker and I are doing LIVE La Fortezza Cooking Classes on Instagram. In fact, so many of you joined us for our last cooking class, Philip and I decided to host another!We'll be sharing two recipes using tortellini which are both fantastic for a weeknight meal. The first is topped with walnut pesto. The second is Chef Philip's bolognese. It's delightful on any pasta, but we especially love it on woodfired pizza.  I'm posting both of them today, so you have some time to shop for anything you might need. I hope you will join us on Thursday on Instagram at 2 PM EST!Stay well. x

Greens and Ricotta Stuffed Tortellini with Walnut PestoServes 4

Pasta: For Tortelli Pasta, use the Basic Pasta recipe. Find it here.For the filling, you will need:- 3 cups baby kale- 2 cups  baby arugula- 1 cup baby spinach- 1 1/2 cups ricotta- 8 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg- 1 eggsTo prepare the filling:Fill a 4-quart pot 3/4 full with water. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring water to a boil. Fill a bowl 3/4 full with ice water. Add the kale, arugula, and spinach to the boiling water blanch them quickly about  30 seconds to 1 minute. Pull the greens from the pot and plunge into the ice water.Drain the greens in a sieve and then squeeze the liquid out of them by pressing into the sieve over the sink to remove excess liquid. In a food processor place chilled greens, ricotta, parmesan, pepper, one teaspoon salt, and nutmeg. Blend until a smooth, about 30 seconds. Add 1 egg, and blend. Place the mixture into the fridge until ready to fill the Tortellini. For the walnut pesto, you will need:- 1 cup shelled walnuts, reserve 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts for garnish- 1 clove of garlic- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan, + ¼ cup for topping- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil- 1/4 teaspoon of saltTo prepare the walnut sauce:Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F. Put the whole walnuts on a sheet tray, and put on the middle rack in the oven to lightly roast them to golden brown, about 3-5 minutes watch them so they don’t burn. When the walnuts cool, chop the walnuts *set aside 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts. Combine walnuts and garlic in a food processor, and pulse about 30 seconds. Add  parmesan, olive oil, and salt, and blend for 30 seconds to a minute, until combined, it should be a loose consistency.To prepare tortellini: Use the directions of the pasta recipe, you should have 4 sheets. Using a  2  “ round cutter to cut the pasta cut our rounds.Place the filling into a pastry bag. Using the pastry bag place a 1 inch dollop of filling into each circle of dough. When all the rounds are filled. With a finger dip into a bowl of water and then brush water around the filling fold in half press gently to seal, then take the 2 points and pull them to connect press together to form the shape of a tortellini.Cooking tortellini:Fill a 7 to 8-quart pot 3/4 full with water and add 3 tablespoons salt. Bring to a low boil over high heat, and then reduce to medium-low retaining the gentle boil. Drop tortellini in the water to cook for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the tortellini using a slotted. Place them in a 4 quart mixing bowl, toss with the Walnut Sauce. Serve immediately.To serve:Spoon the Tortelli onto four bowls, top with grated parmesan.

Chef Philip's Bolognese Serves 4-6

You will need:- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil- 1 lb ground beef (at least 15 % fat)- 1 carrot, chopped- 4 ribs of celery chopped- 1 yellow onion, chopped- 1 teaspoon kosher salt- 2 cloves garlic, minced- 1 14 oz can Mutti polpo tomatoes

To prepare:Place the olive oil in a Dutch over. Add the ground beef to one side of the pan, it should be inone piece. Chef’s Tip: This allows the ground beef brown evenly and it is less likely to dry out.Add the carrot, celery, onion, and sprinkle the salt over the top. On medium heat sauté the meatuntil it is deep brown and then flip it, making sure to keep it whole, let it brown on the other side.Meanwhile, stir your veggies to ensure that they don’t burn they will be cooking on the other halfof the pot, sauté them until caramelized. They will be a nice brown color.When the veggies are cooked, stir in the garlic, and then begin to break up the ground beef witha heat proof spatula mixing it into the veggies. Once the ground beef is completely broken up,add the tomatoes with their juice. Break up the tomatoes with your spoon and let them gentlycook down until they’re reduced by half. At this point, you’re Bolognese should be finishedcooking and it’s ready to use on pasta or pizza.

Chef’s Tip: Grass fed ground beef is much better than choice or prime when it comes to flavor.