Beetroot Tortellini with Goat’s Cheese and Chives Recipe

How to make Beetroot Tortellini with Goat’s Cheese and Chives

Method

  1. Make the beetroot purée first. Add baby beetroot into a small blender and blitz, with just enough water to make it smooth. You want a very brightly coloured, thick paste.
  2. To make the pasta, sieve the flour onto a flat surface and form it into a mound. Make a small well in the middle to accommodate the eggs. Whisk the eggs and 1½ tablespoons of beetroot purée together in a small bowl and pour into the mound. Using your hands, slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs by drawing it from the middle of the mound, working outwards untli the flour is incorpororated. Keep mixing until you have a shaggy dough.
  3. Using your hands, knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. It should be smooth and not sticky. If there is any stickiness, knead with a little more flour until smooth and supple.
  4. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.
  5. Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing the goat’s cheese, ricotta, chives and zest of 1 lemon together and season well. Set aside.
  6. Make the gremolata ‘sauce’ by stirring the chopped parsley, garlic and remaining lemon zest together then set aside.
  7. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll them one by one in a pasta maker, making sure you run them through each thickness setting twice, until they are rolled to the second thinnest setting. Dust well with flour and cover with cling film to prevent the sheets from drying out.
  8. To make the tortellini, lay a pasta sheet on a flat surface. Using a floured cutter, cut into rounds, approximately 7cm. Place a spoonful of filling into the middle of each round and lightly brush half of the inside border with water. Fold the dough in half to to form a filled semi-circle, gently pressing on the filling to sqeeze out any excess air. Press the edges firmly together, using the moistened edge to seal. Fold the two corners of the semi-circle inward, under the flat edge, creating a ‘dimple’. Moisten one of the corners to seal it by squeezing it onto the other. Place onto a well-floured board and repeat with the remaining pasta and filling.
  9. Place the tortellini into a pot of well-salted, boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Drain and tip out onto a warmed serving platter with a bit of the cooking water and a splash of olive oil.
  10. To serve, drizzle with the gremolata and crushed walnuts. Finish with a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste.

Tip: Cooking time varies depending on how long the pasta has dried.
Note: The number of tortellini pieces will vary depending on their size and thickness. Any pasta offcuts can be used in soups.