Mushroom Tortellini

These homemade tortellini in a light butter-sage sauce are little pillows of mushroom heaven with wonderful umami flavor. Freeze leftovers and quickly reheat for an easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
  • 4 large pasteurized eggs
  • 4 Tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil, optional
  • 1 cup (60 g) dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, peeled, diced
  • 2½ cup (150 g) cremini mushrooms
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • ⅔ cup (100 g) Mascarpone cheese
  • 1 stick (115 g) butter
  • 1 bunch fresh sage
  • ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Add flour and salt to the Vitamix container and secure lid.
  2. Select Variable 1, start the machine, and blend for 10 seconds.
  3. Stop the machine and select Variable 6.
  4. Remove the lid plug and begin Pulsing, while adding eggs and 2 Tablespoons oil slowly through the lid plug opening. Continue to Pulse until all ingredients are incorporated, and a dough ball forms, lifting up from the blades.
  5. Remove dough from container and place on a floured work surface. Knead for 1 minute to develop gluten, then wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes.
  6. Bring ½ cup (140 ml) water to a boil and pour over porcini mushrooms. Let them reconstitute for 10 minutes.
  7. Add onion, both types of mushrooms, and garlic to the Vitamix container and secure the lid.
  8. Select Variable 6 and Pulse 6 to 8 times, or until ingredients are evenly chopped.
  9. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons oil to a large sauté pan and place over medium heat. Add mushroom mixture and cook until golden-brown, about 6 minutes.
  10. Place cooked mushroom mixture and mascarpone into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
  11. Select Variable 1 or the Puree program.
  12. Start the machine, slowly increase to its highest speed, and blend for 1 minute; or start the machine and allow the Puree program to complete.
  13. When the dough has rested at least 20 minutes, divide it into 6 equal portions. Cover five of the portions again in plastic wrap.
  14. Set up your pasta machine and dust both the machine and the table with flour.
  15. Select the widest setting on your pasta machine, and use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough to the approximate width of that setting.
  16. Begin cranking dough through the pasta machine, and repeat on the widest setting three times, folding the dough in half lengthwise each time to create a smooth, even sheet.
  17. Reduce the setting by one number and send dough through again. (Folding the dough in half is no longer necessary.) Repeat this process until you are one number from the thinnest setting.
  18. Lay the rolled out pasta sheet on your floured work surface and cut 2 x 2-inch (5 x 5-cm) squares. Cover the squares with clean damp towels to keep dough from drying out.
  19. Using a teaspoon, portion mushroom filling into the center of each square. (Be careful not to overstuff, or your tortellini will explode while cooking.)
  20. Use a pastry brush to administer a slight amount of water to the edges of each square. (You do not want the brush to be soaking wet, but just slightly damp.)
  21. Fold each square in half to form a triangle, and push down the edges to seal.
  22. Pick up one triangle and wrap two corners around your pointer finger. Use a bit of water to seal the two corners together. Place tortellini on a floured tray as you complete.
  23. To cook the tortellini, boil a pot of water and season heartily with salt (about 20 g salt per 3 liters water) and drop tortellini in, one at a time. Cook for roughly 1 minute, or until tortellini float to the surface and have whitened in color.
  24. In a large sauté pan, brown butter and add sage to crisp. Remove from heat. When tortellini are cooked, use a spider to transfer them directly into the sauté pan. Be sure to drag water with the tortellini into the pan to help emulsify the sauce.
  25. Once all tortellini are transferred over to the pan, return to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce looks creamy.