Brown Butter Tortelli Recipe
A few more Rome pics & a simple pasta dish made from ricotta-stuffed tortelli tossed with brown butter balsamic sauce, arugula, pecorino cheese, and lemon zest.
I have three days left in Rome. A stack of used bus tickets thick as a deck of cards is on the nightstand. I see my little pocket journal filled with scribbles and notes. And next to it there's a yellow Bakelite bracelet I picked up in a Pigneto vintage shop for 12 euros. After two weeks+ here, I'm ready to say, I'm tired. Rome is intense. I love it, but it makes my head explode a bit. I ended up making a quiet lunch yesterday for Wayne with some freshly made, fat-bellied ricotta tortelli. I tossed the cooked pasta in some browned butter with a splash of balsamic vinegar and some lemon zest. Added a bunch of arugula and some pecorino and that was that. Easy.
As someone who has lived most of their life in California, where buildings more than a hundred years old are rare, sitting in the midst of thousand+ year old structures never gets old. I find myself seeking out quiet places, and then, alternately, plopping myself down smack in the middle of the Trevi Fountain crowds. Sitting there for the umpteenth time to watch the crowds go by. There is no other public space quite like it.
I took a picture of Wayne in this church, above, years ago. It's a beautiful place high on the Aventine Hill, Santa Sabina all'Aventino. Next to the church is one of the best overlooks of Rome. Inside the church the light changes throughout the day and soft, lace-like patterns are projected from the windows onto the walls. I caught a group of students in there the morning I passed through.
(Above) Here's a shot of me in a room overflowing with Barilla pasta. And below that, my favorite genre of graffiti - ti amo graffiti.
For those of you who think you might visit Rome at some point, I'll do my best to wrangle all my notes into a single, updated post for you when I get home. The problem with travel related posts is they become dated so fast. My Rome post from a few years back needs some t.l.c. Anyhow, I'll work on it. I'm looking forward to sharing some of the new places I've visited this time around. There are also a number of good Rome-based blogs and references I can point you to. I even found a lab that did a really nice job developing film for me while I was here.
In the meantime, give this pasta recipe a try. It's super simple and quite delicious. I know tortelli is tough to find in the U.S., but, as I mention below, feel free to substitute ricotta ravioli or tortellini. Pumpkin filled pastas would work beautifully with the brown butter and bitter greens as well. See you all when I get back. -h
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Brown Butter Tortelli
I used a dozen big, chubby fresh tortelli here. You can certainly use ravioli. The ones I used were stuffed with ricotta al limone, but a bit later in the year I can imagine substituting winter squash / pumpkin tortelli/tortellini/raviolis - about 1/3 pound / 150g for 2 servings.
one dozen fresh tortelli pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
fine grain sea salt
grated zest of one lemon2 - 3 big handfuls of torn arugula or other bitter/spicy greens
plenty of grated fresh pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortelli per package instructions, or until the pasta floats, in well-salted water. Then drain, reserving a small cup of the pasta water.
In the meantime, place the butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter has browned and is very fragrant and nutty smelling. Remove from heat, and let it cool off for a minute or so. Whisk in the vinegar, a couple pinches of salt, and most of the lemon zest.
Add the cooked pasta to the brown butter pan and toss gently. Add a tiny, tiny splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again. Add the arugula, then turn out immediately into individual bowls or a serving platter topped with a bit of cheese and the remaining lemon zest.
Serves 2. You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed more.
Prep time: 5 minutes - Cook time: 10 minutes
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Comments
Hi Heidi, Just found your food-gasmic blog! I'm in heaven looking at all your pics and recipes! Thanks for doing what you do! xx Vivian
I know what you mean about overload in Rome! This recipe followed by a nice siesta seems like a most perfect antidote
My father and grandmother used to make this once a year in the fall for the family. A great recipe and memory jogger. Thanks Heidi
I can't remember the last time we had pasta, odd??? But this one is definitely inspiring and so easy it would be hard to come up with an excuse not to make it. ;)
Heidi, we have found your blog through this great post about Rome...we like your pics and words! Looking forward for your updated post about Rome... We're a small group of Romans that launched a simple independent blog few months ago. Currently our content is in Italian but any specific question from you or your readers is welcome if we can help you with our suggestions about food (not only restaurants) and events for enjoying Rome.
Sigh...never been to Italy! One day. In the meantime, I'll make your pasta and pretend :-)
This brown butter Tortelli is perfect for the fall weather and I like your suggestion of having pumpkin filling. That sounds delicious! Enjoy your last few days in Roma!
Ah, Rome is so beautiful! Great photography
Heidi, You have such a beautiful eye. The address is gorgeous. I loved Rome-spent far too little time there and now this post makes me long for another visit.. Can't wait to hear more. L HS: Lori, when you get a chance to make another visit, I'll sit down with you and a big map of Rome and we can put stickers on the spots you need to see. In the meantime, we can just sample more Italian wines together. xo -h
I'm sure they must be also tasty with ravioli that you said! ;-)
This reminded me about the best things about Rome. It's compact - you can walk just about anywhere and there is always something amazing round each corner. You can find delicious, simple, inexpensive food. The delicatessen on the corner right by the Trevi fountain for instance; my slice of funghi pizza wrapped in paper, fresh from the oven, eaten by the fountain. I always enjoy your posts Heidi but this was one particularly evocative.
Aah yes, simplicity is always the best! :-) Mandy
This blog is so lovely. Just found it at the moment and will always come back.
I've loved reading these posts from Rome! We are leaving tomorrow for Italy, and Rome will be our last stop. I will check your blog while in Italy in hopes I'll see your post on Rome tips. Thank you for sharing so generously! I must add that every recipe of yours I have made has been a smashing success. Thanks for your blog and your book! HS: Have a great trip Nancy, this Rome post is a bit out of date, but it might give you a few ideas. I'll try to wrangle this current trip into a manageable list as soon as I can, but it might not be in time for your visit.
I love the idea of pupkin filled pasta here. I just saw some beautiful pumpkin ravioli at my favorite Italian grocery. I think I will go buy them tomorrow and take an in-my-kitchen trip to Rome!
My good friend went to high school at St. Stephen's School, in the Aventine. How I envy him. I love Rome but have only been twice. Always planning of my next trip in my head so any new information you can impart will be eagerly read! The shot of you surrounded by boxes of pasta reminds me of my Nona's kitchen though her boxes were plain white with just a number identifying the type inside.
Heidi - Tell me more about the last image...with the powdered sugar topping...i do enjoy a bit of dulce. Enjoyed reading your post, thank you. john HS: Thanks John, I took that through the window of a bakery up the street from our apartment in Testaccio - not sure of the filling. Maybe some sort of ricotta? I'll report back if I find out.
I just did this with butternut squash ravioli, Parmesan, a Meyer lemon, and a baby arugula/spinach mix. Keeper!
Beautiful photos. I particularly love the graffiti shot. My husband and I went to Rome for part of our honeymoon. It's truly like no place else. Like you, I found myself gravitating toward the Trevi fountain. I think we closed out every night of our trip just taking it all in. What a wonderful city! Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Heidi - love the recipe for Tortelli - it is delicious. Next time you head for Rome - take "Not Built in a Day" - by George Sullivan. It's the best book for getting around to different neighborhoods, and understanding what you are looking at - he gives the architectural history, breaks it into twelve "day tours". Really a great book.
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