PASTA: Hope you'll give this recipe a try.

BAKED TORTELLINI WITH RADICCHIO:

 

 

 

1½ lb. fresh pasta dough                                 

filling:

    2 cups soft goat cheese                   

    ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

    6 green onions, thinly sliced                       

    2 large eggs, beaten             

    ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg                       

    salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp. olive oil                                                           

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 heads radicchio, cut into ½-inch pieces                   

2 cups Béchamel sauce--recipe below

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

 

 

 

Make tortellini with filling ingredients and set aside.

 

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat until hot and cook onions until tender. Add radicchio and cook until softened, 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

 

Cook tortellini in a large pot of salted water for about 6 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain and place in a mixing bowl. Add the radicchio and onion mixture, béchamel sauce and half the grated cheese. Stir gently to mix well.

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Divide tortellini mixture among 4 buttered gratin dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly and crusty on top. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BASIC TORTELLINI:

 

 

 

 

1 quantity of fresh pasta dough, see posted recipe                                         

filling of choice

 

 

 

To make tortellini: Using a pasta machine with rollers set to the thinnest setting, roll out pasta into sheets. Cut the sheets into 2-inch squares.

 

Place 1 tsp. filling in the center of each square. Fold the opposite corners together to form a triangle and press the edges firmly to seal. Bring the long points of the triangle together and join with firm pressure. Continue filling and shaping tortellini until all the pasta sheets and fillings are used.

 

Cook tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6-7 minutes or until filling is cooked. Drain and toss with desired sauces.

 

 

 

 

 

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

 

 

½  each of onion & carrot, finely chopped                             

½ stalk celery, finely chopped            

4 tbsp. butter                                                   

4-5 tbsp. all purpose flour

2½-3 cups hot milk or hot chicken stock, or a combination of both                                       

2 -3 thyme leaves, or ¼ tsp dried thyme

dash white pepper and salt to taste                  

dash grated nutmeg

 

 

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter to cook onion, carrot and celery until soft and golden. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent browning. Remove from heat, gradually add in hot milk or stock or milk mixture, whisking with a wire whisk continuously to mix smoothly to prevent lump. Strain mixture into a large non-stick pan, pressing down on vegetables to extract flavour. Return pot to medium high heat, cover and bring sauce to a boil, watching carefully to prevent boiling over. If sauce is too thick, add a bit more milk or chicken stock.

 

Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer sauce for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning. Use sauce as needed. .

 

If sauce is not to be used immediately, cover the surface with a piece of buttered wax paper to prevent skin forming and let sauce cool. Sauce may be kept for up to 2 days in a refrigerator.