Rottolo De Spinaca
Submitted by Beverly 4926
Rotolo di Spinaci: hand-rolled pasta dough filled with spinach, walnuts, ricotta, and mozzarella, simmered in cheesecloth then baked in tomato sauce. A classic Italian stuffed pasta roll for 6.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
50 minREADY
150 minRotolo di spinaci is Italian home cooking at its most satisfying. You roll a hand-made pasta dough as thin as you can get it, spread a filling of cooked spinach, finely chopped walnuts, ricotta, mozzarella, and basil across it, then roll it up jelly-roll fashion and tie it in cheesecloth before simmering in salted water for 20 minutes.
Once cooked and cooled, you slice it into rounds, arrange them in a baking dish, pour tomato sauce over the top, and bake until everything is bubbling and the Parmesan on top has browned. The walnuts in the filling add an earthiness that makes this feel substantial despite being completely vegetarian.
Allow about 2.5 hours start to finish, with an hour of dough resting time built in.
Kitchen Tips
- Knead the dough a full 10 minutes. Underworked dough tears when you stretch it thin enough
- Squeeze all the water from the cooked spinach before mixing the filling, or it will make the pasta soggy
- Tie the cheesecloth snugly at both ends so the roll holds its shape while simmering
Ingredients
Directions
Dough: Place flour in a bowl make a well in the center and pour in water, egg and oil.
Stir with fork and then with hands.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 minutes, until soft and smooth.
Place into a bowl, oil dough, cover with a dampened cloth and let stand 1 hour.
Roll out dough on a floured surface, as thin as possible.
Turning and sprinkling with flour as you go.
Spread ½ inch filling on stretched dough, 1inch away from edges.
Roll up dough, jelly roll fashion, closing the edges by pressing them.
Wrap roll in a cheese cloth and tie edges with a string.
Place it in a very large pan of boiling salted water.
Simmer 20 minutes.
Filling: Cook onions in oil until transparent.
Stir in walnuts and cooked spinach. Season. Add basil.
Turn off heat. Let cool.
Stir in cheeses.
Once roll is cooked, drain it.
Let cool, slice and place slices in a baking dish .
Pour tomato sauce on top sprinkle parmesan and bake 20 to 30 minutes.
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