Check out this delicious dish from Danilo Cortellini at Prosecco DOC & Grana Padano PDO Cheese.

NEED TO KNOW

Preparation Time: 1h20 minutes
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Intermediate

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING

• 350g asparagus
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 10g butter, unsalted
• 1 lemon
• Fresh herbs to garnish
• 10g fresh truffle to garnish (optional)
• 20g sun dried tomatoes to garnish (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING

• 250ml milk
• 25g butter
• 25g 00 grade flour
• 125g finely grated Grana Padano PDO cheese
• Black Pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PASTA

• 4 large eggs
• 5/6 large egg yolks
• 600g 00 grade flour

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SABAYON

• 4 egg yolks
• 50g grated Grana Padano PDO cheese
• 100ml Prosecco DOC
• 10 g truffle grated (or truffle paste)
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Prepare the filling like a bechamel, by melting the butter in a pot, then add the flour and cook until brown while mixing with a wooden spoon (about 3 minutes). Add the milk and bring to the boil while whisking often to avoid lumps. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Add the finely grated Grana Padano PDO cheese while still hot so the remaining heat will melt it and season with black pepper and salt only if needed (the cheese is savoury already). If there are still cheese lumps you can also blitz in with a blender. Once cool, put the filling into a pastry bag.
2. To prepare the pasta beat the eggs and yolks and knead together with the flour either by hand or with a mixer. ‘Work it’ until smooth and elastic, don’t give up. If after a while it feels to wet add a touch of flour and keep going, on the other hand, if too dry you can even add a little splash of water or remaining egg whites. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes covered with film.
3. Proceed to roll the dough into thin pasta sheets. If you have a wooden board great, if you don’t a clean surface will work. Slice the pasta into thick sheets and flatten them with a rolling pin. With the help of a pasta machine, roll the pasta out. Pass the pasta gradually from the largest setting to the narrower settings to make thin pasta sheets. It is a good habit to fold the sheet on itself when you’re halfway and start over again to have a smoother and more rectangular sheet of pasta. The sheets needs to be less than 1.5 mm thick to allow the filling to ‘explode’ in your mouth and remember to dust with extra flour only if it feels to wet and humid on your hands.
4. Now it is time to fold the tortelli. Cut the pasta sheet into about 5-6cm circles and place a dollop of filling in the middle of each of them. Do not attempt in doing all the tortelli at once as the pasta will dry out while you are making them. I
   recommend covering the rolled pasta with cling film to prevent this. To close them, fold them in half to create a half-moon shape, press to seal and extract all the air to avoid air pockets. Now pinch while folding the 2 edges together to create the tortelli. If the pasta dries and the edges don’t stick, simply brush them with a little water. It is not as complicated as it sounds, promise!
5. For the sabayon, place the yolks along with the Prosecco DOC and a little pinch of salt in a stainless steel bowl and whisk well. Now cook on bain marie over a pot of gently simmering water while constantly mixing. Never allow the water to boil
   or to touch the bowl or it will scramble the eggs. When it has thickened into a sauce remove from the heat and fold in the finely grated Grana Padano PDO cheese. Return the bowl to the heat only to allow the cheese to completely melt than cool
   down the sabayon and set aside.
6. Rinse and trim the asparagus by removing the woody end of the stalk. Now cut them into 2cm segments and save the tips as garnish. In a large pan fry the garlic with a drizzle of oil and add the asparagus. Season with salt and cook for 2 minutes on high heat while mixing every now and then. Once cooked blitz them with a little water to obtain an asparagus puree. Pass through a fine sieve to make it smooth.
7. Cook the tortelli for 1 to 2 minutes in salted boiling water then drain and add into a pan with a knob of butter and the asparagus tips. Toss gently and add the sabayon. Add pasta water if needed and make sure the tortelli are covered with
   the glossy sauce that has formed.
8. Plate the tortelli onto a large plate with the asparagus sauce on the bottom, and garnish with fresh truffle and herbs, then purr the Prosecco DOC into your glass and you are ready to enjoy a delicious taste travel to Italy.

Recipe by Danilo Cortellini

Cheers&Cheese to EU is a three-year (March 2024 – February 2027) information and promotional project co-funded by the European Union in the frame of Reg. (EU) 1144/2014 and jointly promoted by Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano PDO and Next Generation Pro, an Association which reunites Prosecco DOC producers.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.