Tortelloni Recipe with Spinach and Ricotta Filling

FOR THE FILLING

1. Put the frozen spinach in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a little water and cover and cook for 5 minutes or until defrosted and warm through. Transfer into a large sieve and drain and then leave to cool, squeezing to drain any additional liquid.
2. In a food processor, add the spinach, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. Pulse until the mixture has a creamy consistency. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

FOR THE TORTELLONI DOUGH

1. To make the dough by hand: on a cutting board or other flat surface, create a mound with the flour and then create a large crater in the center of the mound. Add the salt and the eggs into the crater. With a fork, slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs until it is fully mixed. Now knead the dough by hand for 5-7 minutes, folding and flattening and turning. Create a ball with the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
2. To make dough with a stand mixer: Add flour, eggs, and salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Turn to speed 2 to knead for 5 minutes. Remove the dough and knead by hand for 2 minutes. Shape into an round disc, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Cut off a 1-inch piece of dough, flatten into a rectangular shape and add a small amount of flour to both sides.
4. To make pasta by hand with a rolling pin: Place the piece of dough on a flat surface and roll out with a rolling pin. Fold in half and roll out again. Now fold in half and roll out until you have a thin long sheet. You can dust with flour at any point if the dough starts sticking to the rolling pin. Set aside to rest on your working table.
5. To make pasta with a pasta machine: Use a pasta machine or attach the pasta attachment to your stand mixer and set it to #1. Turn on the stand mixer to speed 2 and run the first piece of pasta dough through the roller. While on #1, fold the dough in half and run it through again. Do this twice. Adding a little bit of flour on each side of the dough again, change setting to #2 and pass the pasta dough through the sheet roller twice. Now pass the pasta through twice on #3 and then once on #4 #5 #6. Add flour to each side of your long pasta sheet and set it on your working table.
6. Let the rolled out pasta rest for 3 minutes.
7. Cut into 3-inch square cookie cutter or with a thin knife.
8. Put one heaping teaspoon of filling on each circle, brush water all around the edges.
9. Fold the square in half to form a rectangle and press down to remove any air and seal the edges where they come together.
10. Bend the rectangle so that the outer corners come together, forming a classic tortelloni shape, a pinch them to seal.
11. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, add the pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes.

FOR THE BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

1. In a medium saucepan, saute the butter and sage over medium heat for 4 minutes.
2. Add cooked and drained tortelloni directly into the saucepan and gently stir to coat.
3. Serve immediately and garnish with some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, black pepper and some torn sage leaves.