Spring Pea Tortellini

Ostra

Bring some spring to your supper table with these whipped ricotta and English pea tortellini, bursting with bright, seasonal flavors. Chef Mitchell Randall likes getting family and friends into the kitchen for the hands-on pasta prep (and suggests fresh pasta sheets if wonton wrappers are unavailable). Take a peek at the instructional images below for guidance and gather some extra hands for the garden-inspired meal.

Details

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the filling:
  • 1 cup hand-packed or artisanal ricotta
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1 piping bag (oversized Ziploc bag works as well)
For the pea puree:
  • 1 cup English peas, shelled (set shells aside)
  • 1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
  • 1 stock celery, chopped
  • Sprig of thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 cup English peas, shelled
  • 12 large basil leaves
  • 10 mint leaves
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Cayenne pepper to taste
For the tortellini:
  • 20 square white wonton wrappers (4" x 4")
  • 1 egg
For the garnish:
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • Pea greens
  • 4 chive blossoms
  • Finishing olive oil

Directions

For the filling: 
  1. In a food processor, add the ricotta and lemon zest and blend until smooth.  Next, add the olive oil and Parmesan, and blend until smooth. Add sea salt to taste. Put the filling into piping bag and chill for 20 minutes.
For the pea puree:
  1.  Put the set aside pea shells in a medium sauce pot and cover with cold water. Add the chopped onion, celery, thyme, crushed garlic and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to simmer for 30 minutes and then strain and set aside the stock. Cool slightly.
  2. Bring a pot a salted water to boil and blanch the shelled peas, then shock them in an ice bath (50-50 ice and water).
  3. Blanch the basil and mint leaves in the boiling water quickly and shock in the ice bath. (This will help them keep their green color.
  4. Fill the blender halfway with the cooled pea stock and add the basil, mint and peas. Blend until smooth. (The puree needs to be thick, so adjust the amount of stock accordingly.) Season with cayenne and sea salt and pass through a fine mesh sieve. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to plate.
For the tortellini:
  1. Mitchell Randal - Spring Pea Tortellini 2Lay out the wontons on a cutting board, 4 at a time. Pipe a quarter-sized dollop of ricotta filling into each wrapper.
  2. In a small bowl, beat one egg and brush it onto two of the connecting edges of each wonton. Fold the wonton over making a triangle. Press firmly to seal.
  3. Connect the two furthest triangle corners using egg, pushing firmly together to seal. Repeat until the filling is gone. Chill the tortellini in the refrigerator, lightly covered with plastic.
  4. In a small pot, warm the chilled pea puree. Season again, if necessary.
  5. Bring an oversized pot of salted water to boil. Add the tortellini and boil until they float, then strain.
To serve:
  1. Place a spoonful each of the puree into four warm bowls and smooth out to an even layer. Place the hot tortellini on plate with top points up. Garnish with grated Parmesan, pea greens, small chive blossoms (pull the smaller flowers apart from the large blossom) and a drizzle of olive oil.

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