Rotoli Di Pasta Or Pasta Rolls Food

ROTOLI DI PASTA OR PASTA ROLLS

Steps:

• Saute the spinach until wilted. Cool then chop. Mix with the cheeses and nutmeg.
• Pour the flour on the counter and make a well. Mix the eggs in a bowl to break the yolks then pour into flour well. Pulling from the sides of flour, keep incorporating flour into the eggs until all flour is used up. Sprinkle with flour and knead dough until smooth and not sticky.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle until it is roughly 1/8 inch thick of less. This takes some elbow grease.
• Spread the spinach mixture evenly across the surface, leaving a one inch border on one side. Roll the pasta up from the side opposite the border to form a roll. Wrap with doubled cheesecloth and secure both ends and middle with string. Boil in salty like the sea water for 25 minutes.
• Remove from pan and allow to rest, wrapped, 20 minutes. Remove cheesecloth and slice into one inch pinwheels.
• To serve, ladle some sauce on a plate and serve to 'wheel's per person.
• Notes: I have made this with Swiss Chard which is also delicious. I serve this as a side dish to chicken parmesan and green salad. Also good with fresh sage added to the cheese mixture.
• Goes best with a light red dinner wine or a rose.

SPINACH & RICOTTA ROTOLO

Steps:

• Begin by making the Simple tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic clove and cook until just softened. Add the chopped tomatoes and season. Cook slowly for 25 mins, stirring now and then, until very thick. Do this a day or two ahead of assembling the rotolo, or freeze it for up to 2 months.
• Wilt the spinach in a pan over a medium heat, then leave to cool. Squeeze well to remove the excess water, then roughly chop the spinach. Season and leave to cool completely.
• Gently fry the garlic in the butter until softened, then remove from the heat and add the marjoram. Tip into a bowl and add the spinach, ricotta and Parmesan.
• Roll out the pasta (see step-by-step images). Cut the sheets into 3 or 4 pieces, each roughly 40cm long, and place them on a white tea towel. Using a little water and a pastry brush, stick the sheets together, allowing a 1cm overlap.
• Using a spatula, spread the filling over the pasta as evenly as possible, leaving a 1cm border around the edge.
• Fold over the edge of the pasta nearest to you and, using the tea towel and the weight of the pasta, roll it away from you like you would a Swiss roll.
• Brush the open edge of the pasta with a little water and press together to seal.
• Wrap the pasta roll tightly in the tea towel and tie a piece of string round it every 10cm or so (or use a butcher's knot - see step-by-step images). Tie the ends with string to secure them, leaving a long piece of string at each end to act as a handle.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil (a fish kettle is ideal, but a deep roasting tin filled with water works well too) and cook the rotolo for 20 mins. Remove from the water and leave to cool. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
• Gently unwrap the rotolo and cut it into 3cm slices. Arrange the slices in a baking dish. Spoon over the Simple tomato sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 15 mins until the pasta is hot and crisping around the edges.

SPINACH PASTA ROLLS

Steps:

• Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
• Boil lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water; drain and toss liberally with oil, then place noodles flat on a large oiled sheet (this can be done well in advance, cover the cooked noodles and refrigerate until ready to use).
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add in the drained spinach and garlic; cook until tender (about 4-5 minutes; cool.
• In a bowl combine cooled spinach/garlic mixture, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, egg, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt and pepper; mix well to combine.
• Spread about 1 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of the dish.
• Spread about 1/3-cup ricotta filling over the complete noodle.
• Carefully roll up starting at the short end.
• Arrange seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
• Repeat with all remaining noodles.
• Top with more sauce.
• At this point you can cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance, just bring down to almost room temperature before baking.
• Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in for 25 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, then place back in the oven for another 20 minutes.