Tortelloni

Tortelloni (singular tortellone) are a stuffed pasta made from egg dough. The Treccani dictionary defines them as tortelli larger than usual, with a lean filling. In Emilia-Romagna, tortelloni are included in the regional list of traditional food products (PAT) under the name “Tortellacci, tortelloni, turtlacc” from the province of Modena.

According to the description in this list, tortelloni are large tortelli filled with ricotta and spinach or with meat, served in broth or without it. The egg dough is rolled out and cut into squares of about 8 × 8 cm. The Modena recipe combines spinach or chard, shallot, ricotta, Parmesan and nutmeg; they are made throughout Emilia — from Parma, Reggio and Modena to Bologna — and each town has its own recipe.

Ordinary savoury tortelli, according to Treccani, are mostly square, with a side of 2–3 cm. The same regional list also includes related products: tortelli with herbs from Parma, tortelli with ricotta from Reggio and Piacenza, and pumpkin tortelli. And cappellacci di zucca from Ferrara have been a separate EU protected geographical indication since 2016.

The magazine of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina writes that the stuffed pasta of Emilia-Romagna, when served without broth, is dressed mostly with melted butter and grated Parmesan. In shops, tortelloni are mostly fresh: Divella and Giovanni Rana sell them with ricotta and spinach, and in Rana Sfogliavelo the filling makes up 60% of the weight.

Why it matters to you. Cooking times differ several-fold between producers: Divella states 6 minutes, Rana Sfogliavelo 1 minute, so go by the package. Check the filling ingredients on the label as well. There is no EU-protected name “tortelloni”, so any large tortelli can be called that.