Tortellini with spinach and cream cheese

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g wheat flour, double-grain
• 1 handful of flour for the work surface
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, size M
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200 g leaf spinach
• ½ jar tomatoes, dried in oil
• 5 stalks thyme, finely chopped
• 150 g cream cheese
• 300 g cocktail tomatoes
• 3 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper from the mill

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 40 minutes

For the pasta dough, combine the flour, salt, eggs, and olive oil in a bowl. Knead by hand on the work surface for about 5 minutes, until the dough is shiny, elastic, and pulls away from the surface. Cover and let rest for about 60 minutes. For the filling, finely dice the shallots and garlic, sweat in olive oil until translucent, then add the spinach leaves and sweat briefly. Place the tomatoes in a sieve and let them drain, reserving the oil. Finely chop the drained tomatoes. Finely chop 3 sprigs of thyme, mix with the cream cheese, spinach, and tomatoes, and season the filling with salt and pepper. Roll out the pasta dough and place the sheets on a floured surface. Place the cream cheese mixture in small mounds about 5 cm apart on the bottom half of the dough sheets. Brush the spaces between the sheets with water, fold the dough sheets together, and cut into rectangles using a pastry wheel, pressing the edges down. Cook the tortellini uncovered in plenty of salted water for 1-2 minutes. Wash and quarter the cherry tomatoes, and heat them with butter and 6 tablespoons of the tomato oil. Season with the remaining thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove the tortellini from the water, drain, and let them simmer in the tomato butter for about 2 minutes, then serve.