Fontina tortellini with leaf spinach, Parmesan foam and truffle

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g durum wheat semolina
• 200 g wheat flour type 405
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 200 g cheese (Fontina) or other soft, aromatic cheese
• 200 ml milk
• 125 ml cream
• 40 g butter
• 40 g wheat flour type 405
• Nutmeg, freshly grated
• Salt, from the mill
• 600 baby spinach, optionally also chard or pak choi
• 3 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 100 ml cream
• Nutmeg, freshly grated
• Salt and pepper, black, from the mill
• 100 g Parmesan, freshly grated
• 100 ml cream
• 100 ml milk
• 1 tbsp butter, cold
• 1 tuber(s) of truffle, black winter truffle, even better white Alba truffle

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

vegetarian

For the pasta dough, mix the flour, eggs, and olive oil in a bowl or with your hands on a pastry board and knead well. The dough should be tough. Then wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for at least 1 hour (I like to let it rest in the fridge overnight). For the cheese filling, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Add the milk and cream, stirring constantly. Once the mixture thickens, simmer over low heat for 4 minutes. Cut the Fontina or other cheese into cubes and stir in. Once the cheese has melted, remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool. It’s easier to work with cold (can also be made ahead). For the tortellini, roll out the pasta dough thinly. Cut out circles with a diameter of approx. 7-8 cm. Place a small spoonful of the cheese filling in the center of each circle. Brush the edge of the dough with a little water and fold the sheets of pasta together. Press the now crescent-shaped tortellini together at the edges and fold both corners towards the center to stick them together. Place the tortellini on a baking sheet or wire rack dusted with durum wheat flour and covered with a cloth. Cook in a pot of boiling salted water for 4-6 minutes (depending on size and thickness). Wash the baby spinach and spin dry. Peel and dice the shallots and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a pot and sauté the shallots and garlic until translucent, then add the spinach and let it collapse briefly. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then add a dash of cream. Bring the cooked vegetables back to a boil briefly. Instead of spinach, you can also use chard or bok choy. For the Parmesan foam, bring the milk and cream to a boil briefly and remove from the heat. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and cold butter. Foam the sauce with an immersion blender. To serve, arrange the tortellini on top of the spinach leaves. Top with the Parmesan foam and shaved truffle and serve.