Date, Ricotta and Parmesan Stuffed Pasta

 Pasta dough disks

Date, Ricotta & Parmesan Filling

Filling the pasta disks

 

Shaping the filled pasta disks

 

Pasta ready to go into its jacuzzi

 

The end result

 This is a recipe that I concocted to try to match a dish that my husband and I loved from MORE in Dubai. Their dish is called the celebration pasta, which I mentioned in my other blog. The dish consists of tri-colori tortellini filled with a date ricotta filling. Since I only knew the two main ingredients involved in the filling I winged it a bit. I also have never attempted making tortellini before so I apologize for the amateurish looking ones I made. Here is my adapted filling recipe as well as the link to the recipe I used to make the pasta for the tortellini:

Filling:


1 Container of whole milk ricotta cheese - 15 oz (425g) 
15 to 20 large, plump dates
2 TBSP fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste


Preparation:



If you have a food processor (I am jealous) put your ricotta in and add the dates pulsing to ensure the dates are integrating evenly into the cheese. Then add the remaining ingredients until they are well integrated. 

If you (like me) do not have a food processor, start by dicing your dates as small as possible. Place your ricotta in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the  diced dates and integrate them into the cheese as evenly as possible. Incorporate the rest of the ingredients into this mixture as evenly as possible.


Set filling aside and get your pasta ready.


Pasta:


After you make your dough separate a third of the dough, set the remainder aside and take the necessary precautions to ensure the rest  remains moist. Roll out your dough until it is about 1/8 of an inch thin or thinner if possible (the thinner the less time it will take for the pasta to cook through).


Once the dough is well rolled use a circular cookie cutter (about 3" diameter max recommended) to cut out as many dough disks as possible. Set disks aside ensuring that they remain moist by placing them in a container with a moist towel on top. 


Repeat the steps above with the dough set aside earlier.




Now it is time to fill your pasta. 

Place a small ball (about 1/3 the diameter of your pasta disk) in the center of the disk. Wet the edge of the pasta disk. Fold the disk pressing the edges of the disk firmly together starting at the top center and then doing one side at a time so that you will not trap air in the pocket where the filling was placed. 


Shape the pasta into the tortellini shape by pinching and folding the sides. 


Place the tortellinis on flat dishes or baking sheets in rows with some room between each piece so that they will not stick together.

The yield on the tortellini will probably be about 4 1/2 dozen

At this point you can either make your pasta or you can store it in your freezer in an air tight container for up to two weeks. 


When you do decide to use it I recommend a nice garlic butter sauce, and top it off with fresh grated Parmesan.
.