Healthy walnut tortellini with red wine mushroom reduction

Click for original book recipe

Ingredients (for 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 servings, Metric system SI US customary units )

Preparation

1. Preparation (the day before) for the walnut filling
   Place the walnuts in a small bowl and cover with at least 2 cm of cold water.
   Place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

2. For the Cavolo Nero chips
   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
   If using large cavolo nero leaves, remove the stem from each leaf and trim the edges if necessary. Add a little oil and salt and place the kale on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the leaves are dry and crispy but not browned. Then leave to cool.

   The author uses Cavolo Nero, a special type of kale, also known as black cabbage or Italian cabbage.
   The Cavolo Nero chips can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.
   In the original recipe, the author uses olive oil instead of rapeseed oil.
   Motivation (apple symbol) and link to the original recipe can be found directly above the recipe picture.

3. For the mushroom stock
   Peel the onion and cut it into 3 mm thick slices together with the carrot, celery and mushrooms. Put all the ingredients, except the porcini mushrooms, in a saucepan with the lid on and then add the water.
   Bring to the boil slowly – it should take about 20 minutes to reach boiling point.

   The author uses mushrooms, which are actually unripe, brown portobellos.

4. Once boiling, reduce heat, simmer gently for 5 minutes and then remove from heat. Immediately add the porcini mushrooms, stir to ensure they are completely coated, then cover the pan with cling film to seal.
   Allow the broth to cool completely, then pour it through a large sieve into a clean pot and discard the vegetables.

5. Continue with the walnut filling
   For the filling, place the potatoes (unpeeled) in a small saucepan with 1 litre of water and 10g of salt, cover and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until the potatoes are soft, then drain.

6. While the potatoes are still hot, rinse and drain the walnuts. Place the walnuts in a blender and grind as finely as possible. Then transfer to a large bowl and add the warm potatoes. Mash well, return to the blender and process until a smooth, creamy consistency is achieved, adding a little water if necessary.

   In the original recipe, the author also uses walnut oil, so you may need a little more water.
   You should still be careful when adding water because you need a firm dough in the end.

7. When the mixture is smooth, place it in a bowl and stir in the dill. Add a small pinch of cayenne pepper and season to taste.
   Place in a piping bag or small container and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

8. For the tortellini dough
   Heat the water. Grind the saffron to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle, then add the boiling water and leave to steep for 20 minutes. Once the saffron is ready, put the semolina in a large bowl and add the rapeseed oil. Put the saffron water and enough cold water in a measuring cup to make a total of 175 ml. Add this to the bowl with the other ingredients.

   In the original recipe it is 1 tablespoon olive oil instead of ½ tablespoon rapeseed oil for 4 servings.

9. Using a spoon, form the pasta mixture into a rough dough and then place it on a clean, dry work surface. Knead the dough for about 8 minutes until it is smooth and pliable. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes, preferably longer as the dough will then be firmer and easier to work with.

   The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. It should be taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before use to prepare it further.

10. Form the tortellini
    Roll out the pasta using a pasta machine. Use the second to last setting on the machine. Dust the work surface with semolina and place the dough on it. Using a pizza cutter, cut circles the same size as the width of your sheet of dough (up to 15 cm) and continue until you have no dough left.
    Line a baking tray with cling film and lightly oil it.

    If you don't have a pasta machine, you can use a rolling pin.

11. Mix 50g flour and 100ml water in a small bowl to form a paste and set aside. Spoon 1 small tablespoon of the filling into the centre of each dough circle. Using your finger, spread the flour and water mixture onto one half of each pasta circle as a glue, then fold each circle into a half-moon shape, encapsulating the filling in a neat dome in the centre. Gently but firmly press the tortellini down with your thumb to release all the air from the centre.

    The right amount of filling is crucial: too little and the tortellini are disappointingly empty – too much and they burst.

    When preparing it, try to pay attention to three things: form the filling into a neat bubble surrounded by pasta, remove any air pockets from the center, and press the two halves of the pasta together.

12. Once all the tortellini are formed, use the pizza cutter to cut the rough edge off your half-moon shape in a rolling motion. Now comes the tricky part: dab one corner of the moon generously with the flour paste and then use your thumb to make a small fold in the middle and fold both corners towards the middle and press firmly. Place the finished tortellini on the oiled baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 8 hours.

13. For the red wine reduction
    Bring the red wine to the boil in a wide saucepan and simmer until it has reduced by three quarters - you will need exactly 50 ml, so measure and reduce further if necessary.

14. Once the desired amount is reached, add the mushroom stock (from step 3) and bay leaf, bring to the boil again and simmer again until the new volume has reduced by two thirds - you need exactly 350 ml of reduced stock, so measure it out and reduce further if necessary.

15. For the mushrooms
    Cut each king oyster mushroom "stem" into 7mm slices. Cut each mushroom in half so you have 2 flat slices, then cut these into 7mm slices. Slice the shimeji mushrooms.

    If you can't find king oyster mushrooms, you can substitute them with porcini mushrooms, purple knight mushrooms, or even peeled portobello mushrooms.

16. Heat half of the rapeseed oil in a small pan and add the king oyster mushroom slices. Sprinkle with a little salt, fry until golden brown on one side, turn and continue on the other side. Add the mushroom stock and reduce to a glaze, then keep warm.

    In the original recipe, the author uses 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil for 4 people.

17. Heat the remaining rapeseed oil in a pan and add the mushrooms, sprinkle with a little salt and sauté for 2 minutes.
    Add the shimeji mushrooms and continue cooking until the liquid has been released from the mushrooms and evaporated. Add 4 tablespoons of the red wine reduction and allow to reduce slightly, then keep warm.

18. Continue with the tortellini
    When the tortellini are ready, pour 4 litres of cold water and 40 g of salt into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
    Line a baking sheet with a kitchen towel and have a clean tea towel ready to keep the cooked tortellini warm.

19. Now cook the tortellini. Reduce the heat so the water is gently simmering. Add no more than 5 tortellini to the pot of boiling water and stir gently so that they don't stick to the bottom. The tortellini only need to cook for 1-2 minutes - they will float to the surface and the pasta will be firm but cooked - they should not be soft.

20. Once the tortellini are done, carefully remove them one at a time with a slotted spoon and place them on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel to keep warm and cook the next 5. Repeat until all are cooked.

21. Serve
    Once the tortellini are ready, place 3-5 tortellini in each of the 4 bowls. Spoon the diced mushrooms over the top and arrange the king oyster mushroom slices on top.
    Pour the mushroom reduction into the bottom of each bowl.
    Place a Cavolo Nero crisp into each bowl and serve immediately.