How to Make Tordelli at Home

For the pasta:

• 300g fine durum wheat semolina
• 200g lukewarm water
• A pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 300g ground beef
• 100g ground pork
• 100g finely chopped mortadella
• 50g grated Parmesan cheese
• 50g Pecorino Romano
• 100g stale bread soaked in milk
• 400g chard
• 2 eggs
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Nutmeg and thyme
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

• Tuscan meat ragù (or butter and sage for a vegetarian version)
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Prepare the filling: soak the bread in milk and squeeze it well. Boil the chard in salted water, drain, squeeze it well, and roughly chop it. Brown the ground meat in olive oil for a few minutes, then add the chopped mortadella and continue cooking to blend everything together. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, let it cool slightly, and then add the soaked bread, grated cheeses, chard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, plenty of thyme, and finally the eggs. If the mixture is too soft, add some breadcrumbs; if it’s too firm, add a bit of milk.
2. Make the pasta. arrange the semolina in a mound, gradually add the water and a pinch of salt. Knead until you have a smooth, homogeneous dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Shape the tordelli: roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut out circles about 6 cm in diameter. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle, fold it over into a half-moon shape, and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
4. Cook the tordelli: bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tordelli for about 5-6 minutes (taste to check the cooking time).
5. Serve: top with Tuscan ragù (or butter and sage for a vegetarian version) and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

It takes a bit of time and patience, but the result is pure Tuscan joy!