How to Shape Tortelli or Tortelloni
Tortelli
There are so many fresh pasta shapes all throughout Italy. Some pasta shapes go by names in different regions. With tortelli shapes, there are some that can be square, or have a rounded or pointed edge. This “how-to” shows you how to shape tortelloni or tortelli with a triangular tip. There are also various styles of closures, but in this guide, I’ll be showing you my favorite way.
Final Fold
Shaping Tortelli or Tortelloni
When creating triangular shapes, you want to start with a nice symmetrical pasta sheet. I try to make my pasta sheets the width of the pasta machine.
First I take a piece of dough and flatten it with my hand on a floured work surface. Once flattened enough, I run the dough through my Atlas Marcato 150 on level 0. I take the dough and place it across the top of the pasta machine, fold in the wings of the end pieces so it measures the same width as the pasta machine. I press the wings down, and roll it through the machine on level 0 once more. You’ll end up with a rectangular piece of dough.
Next I move the knob to level 1, and proceed to go through each level once until I reach the perfect thinness for this particular shape. For these tortelli/tortelloni, I roll until I reach level 6.
I use what’s called the “bicicletta”, to mark even squares. If I want a straight edge, I use the bicicletta to cut the squares. If I want a decorative edge, I use my festooned cutter. For tortelli, we want squares that are as symmetrical as possible. You might end up with an uneven piece here and there, and this is ok. Handmade pasta is imperfectly perfect.
When filling the pasta, I like to work with piping bags for precision. You don’t want too little or too much. It takes practice to achieve the perfect amount.
Once the dough is rolled, shaped and piped out with your filling, dab water on the perimeter of one side of your square or use a spray bottle for a nice even blanket of moisture. This will help to seal your pockets. To begin shaping, take an individual square of dough and turn it diagonally so that the top point is in line with the bottom. Take the bottom point to meet the top point, press down to seal, and run your finger down along the edge around the filling to simultaneously get the air out and seal the edge at the same time. Bring the bottom two points of your now formed triangle downwards, and press the ends together to complete the shape. There you’ll have your tortelloni or tortellini.
Note:
Rolled at No. 6 on the Atlas Marcato 150, I recommend boiling for 6 minutes, and serving with your favorite sauce.
